Disclaimer: I will attempt to make my fanfiction fulfil all four rules of a transformative work, thus minimising the risk of me being sued. Just in case, I'd like to point out how all lawyers and especially those that work in the interests of the Harry Potter universe and copyright holders are lovely, lovely people who have far better things to do with their time than take my money. And I'm sure that the owners of Pokémon, The Inheritance Cycle and Exalted don't care too much.
- II -
"Harry!"
The brunette missile streaked across the hospital ward and smacked into him with a solid thud, knocking the wind from his lungs, before starting to fire off questions faster than Harry could comprehend.
"Are you still hurt? Why aren't you wearing your glasses? Where's your wand? What was St. Mungo's like? Why have you been gone for three days? Why won't anyone tell me what's going on? WHY are you in the TOURNAMNET? Did you put your name in the Goblet? No no, of course you didn't... Who put your name in the Goblet? Are you OK? Are..."
Harry tuned her out and awkwardly patted her on the back. After almost a minute, when Hermione paused to draw a breath, Harry jumped in.
"Where's Ron?"
Hermione's next tide of questions tailed off into a high pitched whine as she stopped mid sound. She looked sadly at the door, then back at Harry.
"He... He's uh... Well... Not everyone believed Professor Dumbledore when he told us that you'd been hurt by the Goblet for refusing to compete. Personally, I think he's wrong because the Goblet would have just stripped you of your magic, not bothered to actually harm you. In fact, in eighteen twenty th-"
Harry held up his left hand, his right still hidden under the blankets, and said "Ron?"
Hermione blinked nervously and nodded, her voice slowly getting quieter and faster. "Right. Yes. Some people think the Goblet was punishing you for chhtnnng rwyntoda tnment..."
"Say that again," Harry whispered, "So that I can understand you."
"For.. For cheating your way into the tournament. Ron thinks you cheated into the tournament. And has spent the last three days complaining. About you. And how you always get everything. He didn't want to come to see you when we were told you were back from St Mungo's".
Harry let his head flop back onto his pillows with a sigh. "Great. Wonderful. Who does believe Professor Dumbledore's account?"
Hermione fidgeted nervously, and held up her hand, ticking off people on her fingers.
"Well, there's me, obviously. Hagrid. Professor McGonnagal. And.. um... well. Huffelpuff think you're stealing Diggory's glory, so they kinda hate you. Slytherin have always hated you. Ravenclaw looked at the evidence, and concluded that you did it, so hate you because you figured out how to do it and they didn't. And Gryfindor has had Ron spewing vitriol for the last three days pretty much unimpeded, along with an unhealthy dose of standard 'someone else is doing something I'm not' jealousy. So most of them kinda hate you too. Beaxbaton's champion seems to be more sorry for you than anything else, but their headmistress isn't happy, so they... they kinda hate you as well. And Durmstrang doesn't seem to really care, but are mostly of the opinion that you'll die in the first task so they needn't worry about you over much." She seemed to shrink back inside of herself. "Sorry."
Harry gave her a small smile. "S'not your fault. Thanks for believing that I didn't do it."
Hermione smiled back, and Harry ran his hands through his hair, thinking. His thought were derailed by Hermione's startled gasp, however.
"Harry! What happened to your hand?"
She took Harry's arm carefully and started examining it closely, seemingly forgetting about the boy it was attached to.
"I have no idea. I can't remember what happened at all. I woke up in St Mungo's about three hours ago, and was told in short that they didn't know what had happened. I can see without my glasses now, but they say that might fade away over time."
Hermione let his hand drop, and had a small smile on her face.
"What?"
Hermione couldn't contain a small bout of giggles as she gestured to Harry's arm and his forehead. "You know how the Wizarding World feels about magic scars... I can't wait to see what nickname this one gets you!"
Harry paled and Hermione started listing suggestions, much happier than she had been.
"The-Boy-Who-Competed... The-Boy-Who-Beat-Dumbledore's-Age-Line, even though you didn't... The-Boy-Who-Screams-Really-REALLY-Loudly..."
Harry looked up at that one, "Wait, what?"
"Oh," Hermione's smile disappeared again, "Whatever happened when everyone went into the champion room caused a really bright flash of light. It was blinding to anyone even looking at the closed door, and then you started screaming and you wouldn't stop. You just got louder and louder. Professor Flitwick silenced the door but the charm wouldn't hold. They tried stunning you, giving you potions... It was horrible. Non of us know what happened in there."
Harry stared at his scared arm.
I really don't want another thing for people to stare at. It's not like they'll need much reason this year anyway, what with that whole episode.
He continued to stare morosely at his arm, wondering how he was going to hide the scars. The itching, which had all but vanished since his return to Hogwarts, sprang up again, and he clenched his fist in frustration, hating the scars that marred him and the sheep of the wizarding world who pointed and whispered when they thought he wouldn't see
"Perhaps," came a new voice, "I can be of some assistance there."
They both turned to see Professor Dumbledore stood nearby.
"Professor," asked Harry, "You know what happened?"
"I believe I do Harry. However," And here the headmaster's twinkling eyes shifted to Hermione, "Perhaps it would be best if Ms Granger here waits outside for a little while. If you choose to fill her in afterwards, that is your prerogative but you may wish to keep the knowledge to yourself."
Hermione nodded, and got up to leave, but Harry stopped her.
"Headmaster, Hermione is one of maybe four people in the school, including the staff, that doesn't hate me right now, I will be telling her whatever you tell me. And it would probably be for the best that she hears it first hand rather than through me."
Dumbledore inclined his head, and Hermione sat back down, looking between Harry and the Headmaster worriedly.
"So what happened, professor?"
"Harry, your wand had a phoenix tail feather core, did it not? It is a little known fact that Phoenix cored wands, while eventually more powerful than either Unicorn or Dragon cored varieties, are often shunned by wand makers due to the fact that some of the Phoenix's personality will carry into the wand. The wand's will show a surprising amount of initiative, sometimes acting independently of their owner's wishes. Despite this having saved the lives of numerous powerful mages throughout history, many common wizards and witches dislike having a wand that will sometimes do things of it's own volition. Now, when you attempted to withdraw from the tournament,"
Harry noticed both the past tense used when referring to his wand, and the use of 'attempted', and was starting to get worried.
"You caused the Goblet to attempt to strip the magic from your body, as is the accepted punishment for breaking a magical oath. As the healers have told me, you most certainly did not have the magic removed from you. As far as I can tell," And here Dumbledore's eyes flicked to Hermione again, "This is due to a … minor prophesy made sometime before your birth. You don't need to know the details, most of it passed long ago, but effectively a magical link was forged between you and another individual. Something could not happen to one of your magics without it effecting the other."
Harry was already a little lost in this explanation, but Hermione was nodding along so Harry nodded to the headmaster to continue, resolving to ask Hermione for the abridged version once the headmaster had left.
"This other individual had undergone a number of rituals to prevent his magic being stripped, and his rituals and the Goblet battled for dominance. This caused a large amount of magical fallout that likely would have killed you, as the battleground of choice for this magical war was located somewhere inside your soul. Your wand saved you, absorbing the fallout itself, and destroying itself in the process. When it... exploded, most of it was buried into your body, causing the scars I was told you have. However, those seem to be missing."
Harry and Hermione both glanced at Harry's arm, and gaped at it. The skin was smooth and unmarked, without a trace of the scars that they had both seen there and even the itching was almost gone. Dumbledore continued, seeming to not notice their reaction.
"The explosion also knocked you out via magical backlash for the last three days. The other champions suffered minor injuries as well, but those have since been healed."
Hermione looked at the headmaster. "So what happens now? Harry backed out of the tournament right?"
"Alas," said the headmaster, his twinkle slowing for a few seconds, "I am afraid not. Without the price being paid, namely Harry's magical core, the contract was not voided. And," Here he held up a hand to forestall Hermione's objections, "If Harry were to attempt to leave again, without his wand to save him, he will die. The Goblet and the Prophesy will battle, and Harry will lose. Harry truly has no choice in the matter. The paper used was torn from one of his potions essays. Magically speaking, it was a piece of paper that had the intent of Harry claiming ownership of that piece of paper. All that is needed to enter a contract like the Goblet.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I have arranged for you to have the rest of the week off lessons to recuperate, and this weekend Hagrid will be taking you to Ollivanders to buy a new wand. Due to the clauses of the Goblet, no teacher can give you direct help... However we will all do our best to make this as safe for you as possible. Good day."
And with that, the headmaster swept from the room, purple robes swirling.
- II -
"You a'right there eh 'Arry?"
Harry smiled at his first contact within the magical world as he scarfed down the last of his breakfast and stood up. He noticed that many of the Durmstrang students still stared a little at Hagrid as he passed.
"Hello Hagrid, how have you been?"
"Ah, can't complain. Couple a firs' years tried to find out what was so 'forbidden' about tha forest. Fang scared 'em back to the castle afore they made it too far. No harm no foul I say."
Harry grinned, having still been in the hospital wing when two sobbing first years had been admitted for calming droughts and a check up. They'd been crying about "Huge wolves" and how they'd had to run for their lives. It was funnier knowing they'd never been in danger.
"Dumbledore has asked me to take you to Diagon Alley today, get you a new wand after... well, after Halloween an' all. If you're finished eatin', I reckon leavin' now would be our best bet, afore the alley gets too busy."
Harry nodded, and followed Hagrid out of the great hall, ignoring the assorted whispers, stares and glares of the student body as he passed. He felt a slight pang when he saw Ron who was staring resolutely at his huge plate of food, but walked past without a backwards glance. The pair made their way down to Hogsmeade in companionable silence, where Hagrid produced a portkey. It was a small wooden rowing boat, with two figures in it. One of the figures was huge and easily dwarfed the tiny other. The whole thing was carved from a single piece of wood.
"Hagrid, is that us?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah. I'm a decent whittle, and those were good times. Seein' you, usin' magic. Good times." Hagrid's voice was especially gruff as he clapped harry on the shoulder, nearly sending him to his knees.
"Lot's to do, eh 'Arry? Best get a move on."
The portkey ride took much longer than Harry had anticipated, and he felt mildly ill as they slammed into place just outside the Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid, on the other hand, looked positively green. Harry heard him muttering under his breath "Worse than Goblin carts. Worse, I say..."
After a minute to collect themselves, they entered the establishment. Harry couldn't help the wave of nostalgia. True, he was much larger than the first time he'd passed through here, but Hagrid still made him feel tiny in comparison. They walked through the pub without incident, and Hagrid produced his umbrella from one of the pockets of his massive overcoat, tapping the right brick to reveal the entryway to Diagon Alley.
"Righ', Gringotts first. Yer firs' wand is partly paid for by the ministry. Second one's going ta cost yer a bit more I'm afraid. Then Ollivanders, then I think we can stop off at Fortescue's for a break. Dumbledore gave us the whole day off, don't need to be back in Hogwarts till jus' afore curfew, so if there's any other shopping you need, we can get that done too."
The two of them wandered up the street towards Gringotts, mostly in silence. Hagrid nodded at the Goblin guards, and Harry grinned at the poem etched on the inner doors. They walked to an open Goblin teller without incident, and Harry produced his vault key on request. The problems only started after the hair raising cart ride, when they slid to a stop outside the Potter family vault.
As soon as Harry stepped off the cart after Hagrid and the Goblin who had been introduced as Grindaxe, there was a flash of red light, and an echoing, blaring noise came from the stones he was stood on. Harry froze, unsure of what was happening. Grindaxe gasped and turned to stare at him, long fingered hand flicking into the depths of his armour, returning with a wicked looking curved dagger.
"THIEF!" he screeched, before leaping at Harry, wide mouth bared in a snarl, exposing a great many pointed teeth. The dagger flashed and twirled as the Goblin slashed, but Hagrid had moved with surprising grace and speed, catching the Goblin mid air and hoisting him aloft by the back of his armoured tunic. Hagrid frowned, apparently unconcerned with the knife wielding maniac that continued to stab and slash at Harry even as he was dangled before Hagrid's unsmiling visage.
"Wha's all this then? What you on about, 'thief'?"
"He bears the Potter key, but his magic isn't recorded, it's an imposter, come to steal from the vaults!"
Hagrid looked confused. "He's not a thief. Tha's Harry Potter. He's come straight 'ere from Hogwarts."
The Goblin's slashing slowed to a more sedate pace, although this may have just been that the creature's arm was getting tired, as it replied. "Be that as it may, a magical signature does not change lightly. That person," He Grindaxe gestured with his left hand at harry, while his right continued to jab the knife experimentally at his throat, "is not the same as the Harry Potter that you yourself brought in front of us years ago. Ergo, a THIEF!" and here the Goblin made another lunge at Harry. Hagrid lifted him higher.
"Look," the huge man said exasperatedly, "Le's just go back to the lobby, I can floo Dumbledore, and he can straighten this all out. This is all just one big misun'erstanding."
Hagrid then gently deposited the Goblin back on the ground, something Harry thought was a stupid idea, especially when the Goblin didn't put his knife away.
Despite all Goblin's insistence that the cart's were 'one speed only', the ride up seemed to take much less time than the ride down. The lobby, when they entered it, was devoid of wizards. However there was a large contingent of well armoured Goblins, three Forest Trolls and one young Cerberus on three leashes. Hagrid was led away from Harry, towards a huge fireplace. Harry was moved to stand in the middle of the various armoured guards. They all watched as Hagrid cheerfully walked to the fireplace, pausing only briefly to coo at the Cerberus, who didn't seem to know how to react. The left most of the head growled, the middle head sniffed Hagrid's coat warily and then sneezed, and the right most head bent down and started cleaning it's Gringotts jewels.
Hagrid grabbed a pinch of powder from a pot presented to him and threw it into the fire, calling out "Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts!" as soon as the flames turned green. He walked through without a backwards glance. Harry looked around at the unfriendly faces staring at him. After a few seconds of painful silence, he tried to break the ice.
"So. Uh. Nice armour.". The Goblin he addressed stared at him with undisguised malice. After a few seconds, it leaned forwards and hissed, although it's voice filled the otherwise silent room.
"Once we prove you're a thief... I'm going to personally feed your Hgrggkadkhhaad to the Cerberus. One to each head."
The Goblin then leaned back, a self-satisfied smirk on its face. Harry had no idea what his Hgrggkadkhhaad were. Nor, he was pretty sure, did he want to know. There were a few mutterings in Gobbledegook as the floo powder ran out, turning the fire back to orange. The Goblin who had threatened him turned and smiled dangerously. The Goblin next to him looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then said something to the first Goblin.
"Hrgrakcha... Grk krragh Mnkgaah btkraak ztra Hgrggkadkhhaad." *
The first turned to look back at the second, an incredulous expression on its face.
"ztra? Gtta gom?" **
The second one nodded seriously. "Grka kosgt kkrk grkba. Kda bvkaad." ***
The first Goblin turned back to Harry, and shook its head. "I apologise, whoever you are. I have just been informed that humans only have two Hgrggkadkhhaad. The last head will have to be fed your Hgrkkgabkgvva."
Harry turned back to the fireplace and silently willed it to turn green. His prayers were answered after another five tense, silent minutes. Out of the emerald flames stepped Hagrid's vast form, and then the tall, thin body of the headmaster. Dumbledore put his wand to his throat, muttered a spell, and then started firing off rapid Gobbledegook, wincing at every particularly harsh sound that tore at his throat. A Goblin who looked older than the rest fired back, and the two started shouting at each other, volume slowly raising as they walked towards each other until they were bellowing into each other's faces, long noses almost touching.
One last bellow of "Grk llkgk krgg krgga Hgrggkadkhhaad!" from Dumbledore, and everyone seemed to relax. Dumbledore pulled his wand away from his throat and said, in a slightly raw sounding voice, "On my magic, so I swear that this is Harry Potter." He then fired a small light spell into the air, proving he still had his magic and the Goblins started filing away. The Goblin who had threatened Harry waved cheerily at him as he walked off. It left Harry feeling a little uncomfortable, but Dumbledore beamed at him.
"Making friends with a Goblin Harry? How commendable, not many wizards make the effort!". His voice still sounded raw and scratchy.
"Uh no sir. He just threatened me when Hagrid was getting you."
"That's what I said my boy. Now I really must be off. Have a good day, and remember, classes start for you on Monday." And with that, Dumbledore walked briskly back through the flames.
Grindaxe walked over to them, still frowning.
"To your vault then... Mr. Potter?"
Hagrid turned green pre-emptively, and told Harry that he would wait outside.
- II -
Ollivanders was just the same as Harry remembered it as he pushed open the door: dusty, ill lit and seemingly deserted. He walked into the middle of the room and was about to call for Ollivander when the man in question walked in from the back room, carrying a stack of wand boxes.
"Ah, Mr. Potter," he said, depositing the large stack on the counter top, "Eleven inches, Holly and Phoenix feather, nice and... supple, correct? You were a difficult one, yes, very difficult. I have retrieved those wands I think are most likely to accept you, yet I expect that this may take a while. Please," He gestured at the stack, "Take one."
Harry reached for the stack, and took to top most box, sliding out the wand.
"Eleven inches, like your old wand. Unicorn hair and ash wood. Surprisingly ridged. Good for jinxes, shields and self defence."
Harry took the wand, and Ollivander moved to take it back, but Harry had already slid it back into the box. There was no connection, non at all. It was the same as any stick he could have picked up in a park. He reached for the next wand.
"A practical walnut wand. In length, it is just a bit over seven and one-half inches long. This wand's core is Phoenix tail feather. Springy. Good for wards, both casting and breaking"
Harry took the wand, and put it back.
"A plain willow wand. The length is ten and three quarters inches long. The core consists of a few hairs from a Unicorn mane. Oddly limp, in the wrong hands. Good for... No? OK. This, this one is a thick dogwood wand. It is eleven and three quarters inches long. This wand's core is Dragon heart string, from a Peruvian Vipertooth. It's- no? All right, I was expecting this. Next. This beauty is a rather oddly-formed rosewood wand from a tree I found in my travels of a magical enclave. It is just a bit over ten and one-quarter inches and- OK, next, a plain birch wand. The length is, OK then another one, perhaps..."
Harry waved wand after wand. This wasn't like his first trip, where some wands had reacted violently, and some had ignored him. This was like they weren't wands at all, like they were simply dead. He slowly made his way through the entire stack, Ollivander's descriptions slowly getting shorter and shorter, until he was simply grunting "Rosewood. Ivy. Oak. Willow." and then gave up on those too. Harry placed the last wand in the discard pile with a sigh and a shake of his head. Ollivander looked lightly pained.
"Well, no matter. It seems none of the supreme cores are willing, but I do have a few of my earlier experiments around the back. Let me go and fetch those."
The wizened wand maker disappeared for a few minutes, and Harry could hear bangs and grunts from a back room. Ollivander returned with a small crate, placing it on the counter and waving his own wand dismissively to send the rejected wands back to their places on the shelves.
"Right then Mr. Potter. A bloodwood wand. The length is ten and one-quarter inches long. The core consists of hippocampus mane. I made this when studying in Greece." Harry took it, waved it half heartedly and put it back. A wand of Hornbeam and Kraken beak, one of Alder and Kelpie hair, one of dried vine and Manticore spines, and one truly evil looking Ebony and Dementor cloak all followed it. There was no connection to any of them. Ollivander looked despairing, and then stopped. He glanced at Harry and swept the crate away, and vanished into the back. He returned holding a single box. From it he produced a wand longer than Harry's Holly wand, a light gold in colour. There were twelve glittering gems set into the hilt, and five metal wires had been seared into the wood, wrapping in spirals up to the point, where they held a small white stone.
"And now, Mr. Potter. This. I didn't think I would ever find the one to wield it. Thirteen inches. The wand wood was once the handle of a sword that helped carve the largest magical empire even known. The wood was said to have been a given gift from Yygdrasil herself. Don't ask where I got it, for I won't tell. The core is three unicorn tail hairs, one from each of the alphas of the largest herds of the world. These hairs are braided together, then wrapped around three dragon heart strings. The first string is from a Ukrainian Ironbelly, an individual who is reportedly the largest ever recorded, weighing in at a monstrous ten tons, over half the weight again of a standard Ironbelly. The second is from a Hungarian Horntail, one named 'Kar Surimbesh', or The Deathwing by the citizens of Atlantis, shortly after it slaughtered its way through over forty percent of their population, directly contributing to the collapse of their civilisation. The last string is from an extinct species called the Polynesian Infernox. This one in particular, the last and oldest of its kind, followed the Polynesian settlers who struck out into the sea. When they were close to death, no land in sight, it sacrificed itself by ploughing into the earth beneath the sea, cracking the crust and causing a new volcano to rise from the ocean waves, forming the islands of Hawaii. Finally, these are wrapped around a single Phoenix tail feather from the patriarch of the species, Moltres, the Everburning. These seven cores have been uniquely fused into a single wandcore.
"The wires are shards of Orichalcum, magical gold filled with light and fire; Soulsteel, souls trapped and forged in the underworld by the ancient Deathlords; Starmetal, reportedly pieces of fallen gods; Moonsiver, the collected essence of Luna; and Magical Jade, the great stabilizer. The twelve gems were taken from the Belt of Beloth the Wise, also known as the Belt of Twelve Stars, lost for centuries prior. The bone tip is the finger bone of the last Avatar to walk the earth."
Ollivander's eyebrows rose higher and higher as Harry reached for the wand. He picked it up, and gave it a wave. He sighed, shook his head, and put it back down. Ollivander almost burst into tears.
"Mr. Potter. Please. Can you think of anything, ANYTHING, that would be blocking your magical connection with these wands?"
Harry thought for a second. His hand itched. He brought it up before his eyes, and thought about the scars. Before his eyes, they pushed their way up and out of his skin, itching crazily for a few seconds as they writhed. He reached for the wand again.
- II -
Dumbledore met them as they returned to the Hogwarts gates.
"Well, how was your day after the indecent at Gringotts? How is your new wand?"
Harry frowned, but it was Hagrid that spoke up.
"'E didn't get one, Professor" As Dumbledore's eyebrows rose, Hagrid continued. "Damdest thin'. I heard the explosion from the Cauldron. Ollivander threw him out for breakin' his 'Magnum opus'. Said no wand was gonna serve him if he got tha' reaction. No stave, ring nor necklace neither."
Harry spoke up. "He told me that the reaction was like when you try and channel magic though incompatible duel core wands. He told me to tell you that he thinks that I've become a magical focus."
Dumbledore's eyebrows had long since vanished into his hairline.
"Well, Harry, that is most peculiar. If you could, would you be able to attempt to cast a Lumos charm for me? Just wave your arm and say the words."
Harry did so, but nothing happened. He looked downcast, but then brightened. After a seconds concentration, the scars on his arm rippled into view, and he tried again.
"Lumos!"
There was an intense feeling of itchiness that travelled down the scars and coalesced on his palm, before vanishing. A ball of magical light appeared in Harry's hand. He looked at it for a few seconds, before squeezing it. The light reflected oddly on his scars
"It's squishy."
He bounced it a little without letting go, and then held it on his palm.
"Excellent, although an unusual manifestation. Dispel it, please."
Harry nodded, and said firmly "Nox!"
The light stayed where it was. Harry tried again, and nothing happened.
"How odd. Hold it still please, Harry."
The headmaster cast a spell on his glasses, and peered closely at the ball in Harry's hand.
"Try throwing it please Harry. At me, if you would."
Harry shrugged, and thrust his hand out at Dumbledore. The light detached and flew towards the wizened professor. It impacted on him, and then floated out a foot from the impact zone, still glowing. Dumbledore waved his wand through it, finding no resistance.
"How very odd. This spell barely resembles a Lumos charm at all. Finite."
The light flared for a second, but Dumbledore poured more magic into his wand and the hovering light vanished with a pop.
"How very, very odd. Harry, I will alert your professors, but please do return to classes on Monday. As a champion, you do not technically need to attend, but learning more will never hurt you. I will try and clear a time to do a little more experimentation with you in a few days. You may also want to talk to Filius abut practising with him. As an accomplished dueller and Charms Master, he will find this fascinating! Now, you can catch the end of dinner if you hurry. Off you trot."
Harry took the dismissal for what it was, and walked up to the castle, leaving the headmaster to exchange a few words with Hagrid.
The noise in the Great Hall dropped sharply as he walked in, and then picked up again with angry sounding whispers. He sighed, and walked along the Gryfindor table until he found Hermione. She was sat nearly at the very end of the table, saving the seat between her and the empty space before the staff table. He smiled at her as he sat, thankful that he didn't have to deal with everyone else.
"Oh look, Potter's back from his super special day out! Isn't enough to cheat into the tournament, he needs to get the teacher's special treatment too!" Ron's voice was loud enough to carry a full third of the way down the table. Everyone between the two quieted, waiting for Harry's response. Harry just started at his plate, no longer very hungry.
"Of course, as soon as he's found out, he has no excuse does he? To think I used to like that tosser."
Harry ground his teeth.
"Twit can't even stand up and admit his worthlessness. Little freak."
Hermione gasped, and reached for his arm. She knew more than Ron did about Harry's early life. Her placating grasp was too slow, however. Harry stood and glared down the table at the redhead who still wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Ron, I swear one more word and I'm going to feed you your own Hgrggkadkhhaad."
Dumbledore, who had just arrived and picked up his goblet, choked on his drink.
- I -
So, chapter two. I'm kinda surprised how easy this one was to write. We found out a little more about Harry and his magical hand, although there is still more to come. I have one more scene in mind, and after that I'll be flying by the seat of my pants, so bear with me.
As always, reviews are the one thing that makes being a writer who publishes on here better than a writer who doesn't. If you enjoy the story, a moment of your time is the biggest gift you can give. Reviews keep me warm at night, ever since they turned off my heating...
*- "Rippick... I think Humans only have two Hgrggkadkhhaad."
**- "Two? Not three?"
***- "My uncle told me. He counted."
As the previous chapter, I recently went through this to make it easier to read, and remove a few of the mistakes.