*A*I*M*
"Beyond all Sciences, Philosophies, Theologies and Histories - a child's relentless inquiry is truly all it takes
To remind us that we don't know as much as we think we know."
Adventures in Magick by Pseudonymous Entity
Summary: What if the first friend Harry made in the magical world was a goblin? Curious!Harry.
Characters: Harry Potter, Goblins, Twins, Blonds
Warnings: Harry's curiosity, and luck, is somewhat awe inspiring. (suggestions for additional warnings will be taken in to consideration)
AN: As always I welcome thoughts, questions, guesses, theories and limericks. In whichever order of importance you feel inclined to give.
Ever Yours, Pseu [The clever, magnificent and ridiculously good looking]
Last Time:
Harry had a plan.
He wasn't a Freak. He wasn't worthless or stupid or any of the other things he'd been told. Harry was a child of magic. Harry was the heir to a fortune. He had a quick enough mind and remembered the things he read. Every spell he tried he got within a day or two and he was already experimenting with its implementation. Soon he'd have access to even more knowledge. More things to practice and to learn. Harry was going to show them.
One day Harry Potter was going to show them all.
Ch.12
"All of our choices have echoes."
-P.E. (TCMRGL)
"Huh."
A small wizard with dark messy hair stood in the middle of the train station. He had an odd collection of items in his trolley, including a large trunk and an owl. The oddest thing he had was a golden ticket in his hand which read Platform 9 3/4. It wasn't the most unlikely thing he'd seen in his life. In fact recently he'd seen many unlikely things. Moving maps. Goblins. Dwarfs. Mechanical Humanoids and Arachnids. One of those things was a doorway through a brick wall which lead to a secret magical world. Another was a special shoppe with special maps no one else ever seemed to see.
These experiences combined together were the reason this boy wasn't panicking.
There's a trick to it, Harry decided. You can only find the way to the platform if you know the trick. So what is it? Would he have to tap on the barriers between platforms with his wand? Did he need to fulfill a set of requirements to see it as he suspected was the case with that shoppe? Or answer a riddle as he had in the goblin nation? Or even find a lever to turn? He'd seen many secret entrances lately so he was sure, in that way only the very young ever are, that he would work it out.
Harry stood there and let his large green eyes flicker about the world around him. Up and over various non-magical people -muggles- and their luggage, up and across the barrier between platforms nine and ten. It was there. Somewhere. He just had to find it. During all of this looking Harry noticed some things. He noticed none of the muggles eyes every stayed on the barrier. None of them approached it. It was definitely there. But how to get through it? Even the muggles would notice if the barrier slid away to reveal another platform that hadn't been there before.
So it must be a more subtle method to get through.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Whispered Harry. He looked around once more, took a breath and pushed his trolley toward the barrier. Oh so casually he reached out and put a hand to it. Only he didn't. His hand was gone! Beaming Harry put his hand farther through. It disappeared, along with part of his arm and he could swear he felt something brush it on the other side. Either he'd found the right platform or he was about to appear in a completely unknown place with no idea where he was or how to get back.
How exciting!
Bouncing up and down Harry clapped his hands. Okay, calm down Potter. Be cool.
And the adventurer stood before the threshold of his newest adventure, Harry narrated to himself, ready for whatever came next. He held faith in his fearsome goblin guard, his trusty dwarf and his new magical friends. He would face the unknown bravely.
Harry took a couple steps backward, steeled himself and pushed his trolley at the barrier full speed ahead. He didn't crash. He didn't find himself in Middle Earth or the Tardis. It was even better. It was a platform complete with a bright red steam engine and hundreds of trunks on trolleys. He'd done it. There weren't Elvin archers or dual-hearted time travelers but it was better than that. Because it was real. In his pocket lay Harry's carefully folded pictures. Every picture he'd made while in his cupboard. Every single Harry would look at them and convince himself all of this was true. And now it really was.
His breath caught in his chest and his eyes burned. He was a wizard. He was leaving the Dursleys. He was going to learn magic and meet up with his new friends and it was all actually happening. Harry had new friends, new books and owl-
"Oops!" Harry turned around.
His messenger bird -a gift from the goblins- arrived just that morning as he was preparing to leave. It was a small snowy owl and Harry adored her. He'd left her on the other side of the barrier! The little wizard left his trolley just to the side of the barrier and darted back through. To his relief the cage and the owl within it remained where he'd left them. Unharmed. He ran forward and lifted it into his arms, eyeing the bird inside.
"I am so sorry." He wailed. Harry hugged the cage to his chest willing his avian friend to believe him. He needed to pay more attention.
Precisely then he saw a sea of gingers headed straight for them. This would have been somewhat alarming if it weren't for two familiar heads of red hair. It was his Twins. Bouncing on his toes Harry shook with excitement. He waited impatiently for them to see him.
"Percy first." Instructed a red headed woman. Their mum probably.
A very tall red head pushed his trolley through the barrier.
"You next Fred. Then George." Said the mother pointing at one of the Twins.
Harry knew that it was hard to see things right in front of you if you're eyes weren't open. So while their mother was looking right at them he wasn't surprised -going off what he knew of her from the Twins- that she didn't notice the way the Twins' smiles were forced, or the glimmer to their eyes.
"I'm George." Said the Twin she'd pointed at.
The other gripped the first's shoulder, smiling wider at their mum. "Honestly. And you call yourself our mother."
The woman rolled her eyes and waved a head. "Yes, yes sorry George."
The Twins wilted before Harry's eyes. He decided then and there that he didn't like their mum. Fred, and Harry knew it was Fred because he was talking for the both of them, shrugged his shoulder's like he hadn't a care in the world. "Just kidding he really is Fred!" And his mother bought it.
She nodded at them absently while she fixed the shirt on the younger boy standing beside her. The Twins kept their smiles pasted to their faces, grabbed their Trolley's and started for the barrier. Harry quickly slipped back through. He didn't want to embarrass them. When they came through Harry pounced on them.
"My Twins!" He exclaimed.
"Our accident prone bookworm!" They exclaimed in return.
Harry stepped back, smiling. "What are you wearing?" He asked. They weren't in the lovely new clothes the Malfoys bought them. Didn't they like them? Had they only pretended to? Oh no what if Draco noticed and it hurt his feelings? What would he-
The Twins shuffled on their feet. "We're waiting to change until we've said goodbye to mum and we're on the train."
"To the train!" Harry shouted, fist high in the air.
The Twins looked at one another. "To the train!"
"Is this the only locomotive travel used by the magical world or are there other platforms with other trains to other destinations? Do you really need a ticket? What happens if you lose it? How do you buy it? Where do you buy it? Does this train go to Hogwarts directly? Can it go anywhere else? Who is the conductor? Can you go to school to be a magical transportation conductor? Are their other physical forms of transportation? I've read about floo-"
Fred clamped his hand for Harry's mouth.
"Oh look." Said George. "There's blondie." And indeed there was Draco just a bit further down the hallway perhaps looking for a compartment.
Fred grinned. "Oi Malfoy!"
Draco whirled around, startled.
"Can you take Harry to find a compartment? We'll put up the trunks. We have to go say goodbye to our mum and change so we'll catch up with you yeah? Great." Without giving Draco much time to say anything George took the blonde's trunk and Fred pushed Harry into Draco's arms. "See you in a bit." And the Twins were gone.
Harry looked up at Draco who blinked down at him. "Hi Harry." He said.
"Hi Draco." Said Harry. "Oh you're wearing the uniform!" Sure enough the blonde rich boy was already dressed in the special uniform Harry designed for him and his friends. It looked so cool Harry thought he might explode.
"Well yes. Is that okay? I mean you let my mother get one for me as well so I assumed I was invited but you did know the twins before you met me so may have only been being polite so I-"
And the arrogant rich boy was gone replaced with an insecure, soft child with even less experience with other kids than Harry. It was sort of adorable how worked up the blonde got over Harry's opinion. No one had ever cared about Harry's opinion before. His opinion hadn't ever mattered before. He bet if he said he didn't want him to wear it Draco would take it off and not bring it up again. He was so sweet. And so stupid.
Harry threw his arms around the blonde and hugged him. "I'm glad to see you Draco." He felt Draco relax.
"Shall we find a compartment?"
They did. Shortly after entering the Twins reappeared, stowing their trunks and heading out with their new clothes in their arms to change. They seemed excited. Harry was as well. As soon as the door shut Draco locked it for him and Harry changed into the uniform. The uniform he designed. With a little help from Draco he had it on and his old clothes stashed in his trunk. He ignored Draco's urging to set them to flame. Mostly because he didn't know how because honestly he'd love to see...hang on he could ask.
"Draco do you have any idea if these compartments are warded to contain magical events? In out early teens accidental magic though rare isn't unheard of and so many children leaving their families forced together in small spaces has to be a good recipe for disaster. Do you think if we really did set something to flame using magic that the room would contain it if it got out of hand? Or at least prevent the other passengers from knowing what we've done? For instance if I wanted to conduct a few experiments? I have this book-"
Draco placed his hand over Harry's mouth, smiling widely. Fondly. "It's really great to see you Harry."
Harry's questions left him along with his breath. No one ever looked at him like that. No one ever said something like that to him. No one ever meant it. Certainly no one as important as Draco. He was the only son of one of the richest and most influential families in magical Britain. He could be friends with anyone. And he'd chosen Harry. The orphaned muggle-raised boy with hand-me-down clothes he'd first met crying in a book store.
How was it he was so lucky?
"Here." said Draco, pretending not to notice Harry's large, wet eyes. "Let me help you with your presentation. Can't have you shaming my family on the very first day, can we?" Draco took Harry's glasses and managed to make the frames thinner, fixing the crack in one of the lenses as he did so. Next he took a jar from his trunk and sat Harry down on the seat. He stood before him, rubbing a dollop of silvery stuffy between his hands. Long white fingers ran through Harry's hair, smoothing down his curls, untangling knots. He finished and put it away. "There." He said.
Harry didn't recognize himself. It was awesome.
Draco sat down. "Oh gross." He exclaimed. One of Draco's hands was squished in left-over hair product that escaped the jar it belong to and made a new home on the seat. Draco scowled at the stuff as if it had personally offended him. Harry descended into giggles. "It's not funny Harry."
The door slid open. "Excuse me. Have any of you seen a toad?"
Draco's eyes snapped to the round faced boy standing in the doorway of the compartment. "You. Come here." The boy blinked. He took a tentative step forward. Draco rolled his eyes, reached out and tugged the boy closer. "Excellent." Draco wiped his hand off on the boy's sleeve.
Harry sucked in breaths trying to calm down enough to talk. "Draco."
"What? Oh right. Thank you." He said to the new comer. "We haven't seen a toad. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Someone laughed. It wasn't Harry. A red haired boy stood there just beyond the doorway, looking in. He was tall with a long nose and, Harry estimated, a million freckles. He didn't know what was so funny. Draco did. The blonde stiffened in his seat, straightening his posture and narrowing his eyes. Closed off. "Think my name is funny do you?"
The red head had no sense of self preservation. He made his way into the room, sat on the seats across from them and nodded. "Yup."
Draco stood. His face flickered. He glanced at Harry, took a breath and looked at the other boy. "Well there's no need to ask yours." He began. "Freckles and blindingly red hair. You must be-"
"A Weasley?" The boy spat, smiling face gone. "And you're a Malfoy." Draco and the round faced boy both looked taken aback. Harry had never heard someone use someone else's name an insult before. It was sort of impressive. And also really mean. "My father says your family shoves gold down the throat of every ministry official that even looks their way. That your father is a cowardly, lying Death Eater and I must say I don't think you'll be any better-"
To everyone's surprise it was the round faced boy who reacted first. He shoved at the red head, pushing him out of their compartment and into the hallway. The boy glared at them then marched off.
"I...I..." The boy stuttered, as surprised at his actions as everyone else. "He was being such a prat." He offered in explanation.
Draco wasn't listening. He stood there with a look to his face Harry couldn't explain. "It's okay. If you don't want to be seen with me." Said Draco. "It'll be easier for you that way and I want you to know that I understand if that's what you do." His silver eyes were small and dull, back straight and chin raised. He expected Harry to ignore him. He expected Harry to give him up. He didn't really believe, as arrogant as he came across, that anyone would want to stay with him. It hurt Harry's heart.
The smaller boy took Draco by the hands and squeezed them. "The moment I saw you." Said Harry. "I knew it was the start of an adventure."
"Well we did flee for our lives from a mechanical troll." Said Draco, uncertainly.
Harry swatted his arm. "No you idiot. I knew we'd be friends. And friendship is the greatest of adventures." With that Harry flung open the compartment door once more and started down the hallway.
"Wait, where are you going?" The round faced boy had followed Harry into the hallway.
Harry thought he was a good sort of boy and because he seemed a good sort of boy Harry answered him. "I've never had friends before so I might make some mistakes but even I know you don't let people hurt your friends. And he's not only my friend, he's my cousin. He's my family." Harry's small hands tightened into fists. "You protect family. That's the way family is supposed to work."
Harry only had a vague understanding of the term Death Eater. He did however know an insult when he heard one. He knew a bully when he saw one. He didn't like bullies. Beyond that Draco was a son of the family sponsoring Harry in the magical world. Well, if Lucius demanded Harry to protect the family's honour that's what the man would get. Harry read every book he was given on wizarding customs and etiquette. He would show everyone that he deserved his sponsorship. He'd show them not to mess with his friends. Here he wasn't the Freak under the stairs. He didn't have to sit back and let these things happen. Not anymore.
He was the main character of his own story and he would defend the honour of his friend against any foe, let alone a fellow eleven year old.
Harry turned and locked his eyes dead ahead on the other end of the hallway. There the red head, the Weasley, stood. The boy was talking to an even taller red head with a 'P' pinned to his shirt. And then Harry did something he'd never done before in his life.
Harry Potter started a fight.
PseudonymousEnity
2016
Notes:
Thoughts? Questions? Guesses? Theories? Limericks?
AN: I am typing up and editing chapters when I have the chance. I am feeling a lot better, thank you all for asking. I have received several PMs from you and I will get to answering them as soon as I can. I want to thank you all for being so patient with me while I get better. Hope you are still interested in my little stories.
Ever Yours, Pseu
