Escape
A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic so please go easy. If you have any suggestions or ideas they are always welcome.
Summary: Harry is sent to live with his relatives who end up abusing him. On a trip to London he meets a snake that tells him about the magical world. The snake decides to stay with him and becomes his Guardian.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Talking"
-Speaking Parsletounge- -Mind Speaking Parsletounge-'Thoughts'
Chapter 3: Preparations
Albus Dumbledore was usually a very confident person. He always knew what was going on everywhere and was often sought out for his opinion on things. Today though was a very bad day for the Hogwarts Headmaster. They had sent out the acceptance letters a week ago and while most of the students had replied, the one he was worried about had not. Harry Potter was supposed to start Hogwarts this year and Dumbledore was worried that maybe the wards hadn't been strong enough and Death Eaters had found the boy. While it was true that the Dark Lord Voldermort was gone it didn't mean that all of his supporters had gone with him. He had placed Harry with his muggle relatives because he thought the boy would be safe there and to make sure of that he had forbidden any wizarding person to go there. Now he wasn't so sure that it had been a good idea since no one had been able to check on him. There was a squib that lived close by and could give vague accounts of how the boy has been; there hadn't been any direct contact with him though so they had to trust to the Dursley's parenting. Unfortunately since there had been no response and no one had checked on the boy in ten years he was worried so he decided to send Hagrid to see what was wrong. The big man was more then happy to have a chance to see young Harry again and agreed right away.
When Petunia saw the man at her door she gave a loud shriek and very nearly fainted. Vernon came running in to the living room and saw the large man that had scared his wife and paled. Gathering himself he stepped towards the door and pulled Petunia to him.
"What can I do for you?"
"I'm 'ere to see why 'arry Potter 'asn't responded to 'is school letter."
Petunia looked decidedly nervous at that and Vernon turned from fearful to angry. He realized that this man was one of those freaks like Harry was and wanted the man as far away from his house as possible.
"I don't want you or your kind anywhere near here again. The boy didn't respond because he's not going. Do you understand that? I won't allow any of his freakishness in this house."
Vernon was red in the face before he finished his little rant. Hagrid was shocked to say the least; he had no idea that Harry Potter's relatives would be like this. He knew that muggles were sometimes weird towards magic but he had never met anyone who actually outright hated it. Hagrid tried again to ask politely to see Harry but he was only insulted again.
"That does it Dursley either you bring 'arry out 'ere right now or I'll turn the 'ole lot of you into the Ministry. Then we'll see 'ow you fare with the Aurors and the dementors."
At that Petunia paled even more and stuttered that she would go get the boy. Vernon looked confused for a minute and was about to ask what was going on when he realized that his wife had already left and came back with Harry. Vernon was going to ask what she thought she was doing but Petunia was too scared to pay him any attention.
"Here he is. We're sorry about before but you must understand that the poor boy is so traumatized that we thought it best if he just stayed here with us instead of returning to a place that would remind him so much of his poor parents. You must realize that the only thing we were ever really able to tell him was that his parents were a witch and a wizard and that another wizard killed them. He took their deaths very hard and gets scared around any kind of magic even simple card tricks. We just don't want to put him through anything like that again. You understand don't you?"
Hagrid looked ashamed of himself by the time Petunia had finished her simpering explanation. He knew very well that poor Harry would be upset over the loss of his parents and he had gone and threatened the only family the boy had left. Hagrid was so wrapped up in his guilt that he failed to notice the fierce glare Petunia sent Harry and the look of a later explanation to her husband.
"Of course you was only looking out for 'arry I'm sorry for treatin' you like I did. Everyone is just 'appy to get to see 'im again and worried that 'e 'adn't answered 'is letter. Well no matter you can rest assured that Professor Dumbledore will take care of 'im while 'e is away and 'e'll be back for both winter and summer 'oliday."
The Dursley's both nodded their acceptance and told Hagrid it would be fine for him to take Harry school shopping as they had no idea of where to go. Hagrid waited outside while Harry got ready to go.
"Now you listen here boy, you don't say one word about anything that goes on in this house or you'll get the worst beating of your life. Do you understand? Good. I want you to listen to everything he says and get your stuff so you can get back here quickly. Got that? Good now get your shoes on and hurry up."
Vernon pushed Harry towards his shoes that were lined up next to the door and walked away so that he could talk to his wife. As soon as he heard the door close he rounded on his wife and demanded an explanation. She told him that she knew some of the basics of the wizarding world so when Hagrid had threatened to get the Ministry involved she knew it would cause too many problems. She explained that Aurors were like magical cops and dementors were terrible creatures that sucked a person's soul away. They both agreed that it would be best if Harry just went to this school for a while. Besides that way they wouldn't have to deal with him except for a week in the winter and two months during the summer.
Harry walked cautiously next to the big man named Hagrid until they came to a large motorcycle. Hagrid climbed on and then told Harry to hop on back. When the bike started lifting into the air Harry was surprised and tensed. Kadian was wrapped around his neck and whispered into his ear, saying that it would be ok. It had an instant calming effect on Harry and the boy relaxed a great deal. When Kadian told him it was ok he knew that it really was. The first time Kadian had come to him and wrapped around his body to tell him it was ok and sing to him Harry had not believed it. It had taken several times before Harry got used to it. Every time his uncle beat him or his aunt forgot to feed him again and he thought he couldn't go on Kadian was always there to tell him it was ok.
Eventually Harry got used to the feeling of flying and took in his surroundings. They were high up above the clouds so the only thing to really look at was the sky but it was beautiful all the same. Hagrid landed them in an alley near a familiar looking pub. Even though he already knew about the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, Harry still had to appear surprised for Hagrid. Thankfully it wasn't that hard since the big man wasn't very observant and Harry had a lot of practice acting.
He had already explained to the goblins that he didn't want anyone knowing he had already accessed his vault so they played their part when he went to Gringotts with Hagrid. Hagrid handed the goblin Harry's key and they all climbed into a cart. While Harry and the goblin seemed fine with the ride Hagrid looked ready to throw up by the time they got to the vault. Harry went in and did his best to look impressed by something he had seen quite a few times. He gathered some coins and let Hagrid explain the money system to him again. Once everyone was back in the cart they went a little further down and Hagrid got out this time. He only opened the door enough for him to go in grab whatever was in there and then he shut it again. All Harry saw was a small brown package that he decided not to worry about.
They walked back out to the bustling street when Hagrid asked if Harry would mind if he took a breather at the pub. Harry told him not to worry about it and that he would get his wand and robes while Hagrid was resting. The larger man grinned and thanked Harry before pointing out the Olivander's wand shop and Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions.
Mr. Olivander he found to be slightly creepy. But was interested in what the man had to say about his wand being the brother of Lord Voldermorts. He also bought a book on cleaning and maintaining his wand. Madam Malkin on the other hand was just a bit over motherly but other then that he didn't have a problem getting his robes. He decided that he might as well pick up some everyday robes to create the appearance that he was taken care of by his relatives. While he was waiting for his robes he met another boy who was going to Hogwarts, his name was Draco Malfoy. They talked for a little while but it quickly became clear that Draco was more than a bit of a snob and that Harry was still too unsure of himself.
He found Hagrid waiting outside the robe shop and they continued on together to the next store. At Flourish and Blotts he bought all his schoolbooks with a few extras that he had been meaning to get anyways. The apothecary was one of Harry's favorite places so they spent extra time there and got plenty of the ingredients he would need as well as all his school required equipment. He decided it would be a good time to get a new Owl Order Catalogue.
As they where passing the pet store Hagrid stopped suddenly and told Harry that he would get him a pet for his birthday. Harry told him that it wasn't necessary and that he should talk to his relatives first but Hagrid had already pushed him into the shop and was looking around by then. There were a lot of different animals and Hagrid suggested an owl since they were so useful but Harry said he would rather study then write letters.
Harry found a kitten in a corner of the store chasing a dust ball around. He thought the cat was cute and bent down to pet it. The kitten jumped when he touched it and spun around to hiss at him. Harry just smiled at the gray fur ball in front of him. He picked the kitten up and took him to Hagrid. Hagrid smiled at the kitten and asked if that was the one he wanted. When Harry nodded they went up to the counter and paid.
Hagrid dropped Harry off in front of his house and left saying he would see Harry on September 1st, the start of school. Harry waved goodbye to him and went inside. He put his things in his cupboard and made sure the kitten was asleep on his bed. He told Kadian watch over her then went to meet his uncle. He knew his uncle was waiting for him in the basement. The beating lasted the rest of the day and well into the night, his uncle only stopped when he was too exhausted to lift his fist anymore. Harry was left to lie in his own blood while his uncle went back upstairs for a shower and some rest. The beatings were more often then before but he no longer had to do chores and was locked in the cupboard the rest of the time. He got to study though which he was thankful for. He managed to read all of his books by the time he was supposed to go to Platform 9 ¾. His relatives happened to be going shopping for Dudley on the same day so they dropped him off near the train station. Kadian told him that Platform 9 ¾ was in-between platforms 9 and 10. All he had to do was walk through the stone wall and he would be there. Trusting to Kadian Harry walked through the wall and up to the big red train that was the Hogwarts Express.
All around the platform teary-eyed parents were saying their goodbyes to anxious students. Harry was a little nervous since he had never been around so many people. He decided the best thing to do would be to get on the train and find an empty compartment. Most of the compartments had people in them but near the back he found an empty one. Putting his trunk away he took out a potions book and began to read. It was a while before he felt the train start to leave and then there was a knock on his door. Three boys, two older and one younger, with red hair opened the door and introduced themselves.
"Hello there, I'm George…"
"…And I'm Fred…"
"…And this is our little brother Ron."
"We were wondering if you…"
"…Would mind him sitting here."
Harry blinked as the twins finished their little speech. He looked at Ron and saw his face go red with embarrassment. He had wanted to be alone for the ride but seeing as how the train was probably full he agreed. Ron stuck his hand out and introduced himself.
"Thanks. I'm Ron Weasely by the way."
"I'm Harry. It's nice to meet you all."
Harry shook the other boy's hand. It was hard for him to remember how to act since the only example he had was of watching his cousin interact with his friends, which was really just his cousin ordering the other boys around. Over the years of being with his relatives Harry had learned to never show his emotions. He reinforced that with his meditation and now even though he knew the other boys were expecting a reaction he didn't know how to show any. It made the others a bit uneasy that his face was blank but soon the older two left and it was just Ron and Harry. Harry sat back down and began to read again while Ron fidgeted for a minute before sitting across from him. The ride was for the most part uneventful though at one point there was a boy that came by looking for his lost toad. Harry continued to read for the rest of the trip so there wasn't much conversation until a bushy haired girl came in looking for the lost toad as well. She happened to walk in right when Ron was trying to show Harry a spell to turn his pet rat Scabbers yellow. Saying that she was muggle-born and that she wanted to see a bit of magic she invited herself in and sat down with them. Ron seemed suddenly nervous but he said the spell anyways. A yellowish smoke came out of Ron's wand towards Scabbers but all it did was lift him into the air for a moment then land him back down with a small thud.
"Are you sure you said it right? I've tried out a few simple spells for myself and they all worked for me. Are you sure that's a real spell?"
The bushy haired girl, who introduced herself as Hermione, badgered Ron until he was red in the face. Harry decided to ignore them both and kept on reading. Ron was quiet for the rest of the ride after his embarrassing first attempt at the spell. Hermione on the other hand wouldn't stop talking. She kept going on and on about which books she had read in particularly about Hogwarts a History and how she expected the school to be.
Eventually though the train made it to the Hogsmead station and everyone got ready to leave. They where told to changed into their school robes and leave their trunks aboard. Making their way off the train they headed with all the other first years to a large man by a bunch of boats. Harry didn't really want to be around the talkative girl anymore so he got on a boat at the back that was almost full. There was a dark haired boy, a girl with white-blonde hair and a boy with sandy blonde hair already in the boat. They just had time for introductions before the boat started off. The others introduced themselves as Blaise Zambini, Tyne Morgaen and Mitchell Bryce. When Harry introduced himself he got varied reactions. Blaise looked interested, Tyne looked surprised and Mitchell gasped slightly.
All of the boats started moving through the water towards the castle of Hogwarts. There were gasps and exclamations from almost every boat. Hogwarts was amazing. They had just gone under a bridge and on the other side the castle rose out of the night sky to dominate their view. It was amazing to say the least. They all got out of their boats and followed the man, which turned out to be Hagrid, up to a large door. Hagrid banged on the door three times and then stepped back as the door swung open to reveal a rather stern looking older woman.
"The first years Professor."
"Thank you Hagrid. If you would all follow me and line up in the hall. That's it there we go. Now I'm going to call your names alphabetically and when your name is called I want you to come out to the Great Hall to be sorted."
The woman ushered them all into a hall and had them line up. Everyone was slightly afraid since they didn't know what was going to happen but the stern woman seemed to know that. She soothed most of the children with her calm voice. She left them for a moment to make an announcement to the Great Hall and then started calling their names. The first person to go was a blond girl and she was sorted into Hufflepuff. The tables all started clapping but one table was definitely louder then the rest and it was to that table that she went. A few more students were sorted before Harry recognized one of them. It was one of the boys he had sat with on the boat. Mitchell Bryce was sorted into Ravenclaw. The bushy haired girl, Hermoine Granger, from the train was the next person he recognized, she was also sorted into Ravenclaw. After that were several other names before the boy who was looking for his toad was called. His name was Neville Longbottom and he was sorted into Hufflepuff. The boy he had met in Madam Malkin's robe shop was soon up. Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin almost before the hat touched his head. Next was the only girl that had been on the boat, Tyne Morgaen was sorted into Slytherin. Soon after that it was Harry's turn to be sorted. He walked up to the stool, sat down and put the hat on.
'What an interesting mind you have Mr. Potter. Nothing like I expected. Hmm…well it seems you're not very suited for Hufflepuff since you are lacking in the trust and loyalty areas. Gryfindor seems out of the question as well. It looks like you would do well in Ravenclaw. You have a thirst for knowledge and with what you already know you could be great there. But you also seem to be able to go to Slytherin. You have great cunning and you would fit in well with the serpent house though I'm not sure you would like the result. If I put you in that house you would most likely have no friends. Others would only see you as evil and some would never be able to see past that. But the decision is for you to make.'
'Well I've never minded how others saw me before. I don't really have any need of friends either. I do like learning though. I want to know as much as I can so that I can protect myself. Whichever house you think will help me accomplish that is the one I want.'
'It had better be…'
TBC…Well what do you think? Is it getting better? Sorry for the cliffhanger but I really wanted to get everyone's opinion for where Harry should be sorted. Please try and base your answers off of how he has been raised and how he acts. Thank you for your input and reviews.