*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, Prefects,

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.

ANx2: Dead Girl! I'm going through the outlines I have for the chapters you sent me. I'm gonna edit and send you the doc and you can cut off however much you need for the next chapter you want okay? I'll get it to you as soon as I can.

ANx3: Who is out of the clinic? This handsome devil. *fist pump*

Ever Yours, Pseu [The clever, magnificent and ridiculously good looking]

Ch.14

"People say it's the big decisions that are important

That these are the type of issues worthy of prolonged consideration

But no one ever explains that it is the little choices

The little choices that send your life careening in another direction."

-Gittus

Right when the creepy cute first year was seriously starting to unnerve people, something else happened which distracted everyone entirely.

The door to the last compartment slammed open. An older girl in torn muggle jeans and a flashing tie-die shirt that was very much not muggle stumbled out. Neon blue laces weaved in high top shoes pulled and stretched until both pairs of footwear were kicked off. They landed with thuds beside the same wall she pressed her back against and slid down. Reaching the floor she let out a sigh. "Silence at last." She murmured. Her finger popped a stick of gum in her mouth. A comic book was produced, resting against one of her knees. She settled in to read.

When she finally noticed the group of students gathered in the hallway, including every single prefect, she froze mid page turn.

"...what did I miss?"

And then her hair turned purple.

Harry had so many questions he honestly thought he might explode. "It doesn't matter. The soulless wonder over there was just being an idiot. Anyway what are you wearing? How is your shirt doing that? Is that a muggle comic book or a magical one? Your hair changed colours. Are you using a spell or is it like my Twins in-sync vocalization? Some sort of magical genetic trait? Is it only your hair colour that changes or can you-"

"Oh shut up Lestrange." Growled Ron. That's right, his insecurity was such that he actually brought the attention back toward him and his loose tongued father. Harry thought the other boy needed some hobby to be really good at so he could bulk up on confidence and maybe think a little before he spoke. Might do wonders for his general life experience. He wouldn't be so angry at the world if had validation. Did the Twin's mum give any of her children proper attention? He should send an owl to the sharp toothed clerk and ask him if he knew where to get an idiots guide to not raising a psychopath. Or the magical alternative. Either one.

"-or Black"

What was the ginger talking about?

"Everything was fine until you chased after me. If your cousin wasn't such a git we wouldn't have had a problem anyway."

Harry's mind was already three topics away at that point and it took him a moment to even remember what Ron was talking about. So he stared at him blankly while his brain tried to backpedal. Psychopaths. Insecurity. Soulless. Purple Hair...

"He was not." Said round faced boy, half hiding behind Draco who seemed amused at being a human shield. "Y-you were the one being rude. Not him." That kid was seriously growing on Harry. He was shy but there was a backbone in there if a flexible one. Harry could work with that.

Ron turned on round faced boy. "Aren't you Neville Longbottom? Why are you defending a Malfoy? Don't you know who his aunt is? Merlin she's probably this ones mum." He shoved a finger in Harry's face. "What are you thinking?"

Harry was actually sort of offended. He had no idea who Ron was talking about but you shouldn't say things like that. "Leave mums out of it." Harry ordered, frowning. He never knew his own mum true,that didn't mean it was okay to talk about a hypothetical mother in that tone of voice. Any mother of Harry's -fictional or not- would be totally awesome.

"Shut it Lestrange." Ron pushed him. Harry tumbling to the ground was all it took for the spectators to decide to step in. Percy and the dark haired Prefect pulled their wands. Someone else was faster. "You don't have a mum you have a monster. You're just monster spawn-" Ron's mouth kept moving for a minute before he realized there wasn't any sound coming out. Harry was fascinated. Sure he was mentally murdering Ron at the same time but that wasn't anyone else's business. besides, the kid just needed to stop letting his mouth run away with him. And learn to take a hit. Sometimes you make a mistake. Sometimes you make it publicly. It happens. Let it go.

Tie Dye girl stood in the middle of the room, wand pointed at the red headed first year. Slacker tendencies long gone. Her wand, Harry saw, was twisty and iridescent. The flashing blue and yellow shirt and torn jeans were suddenly intimidating. The long black hair swirling around her helped a bit. That and the cool expression. "Bellatrix Lestrange was my mother's sister. I am the daughter of Andromeda Black. You wanna push me around too?"

Ron's mouth clicked shut. He shook his head back and forth, eyes wide. Good choice. See? Ginger was making progress already. It appeared female influences made more headway with him than male ones. Or at least pretty females with quick wand reflexes.

"Leave the kid alone, you understand me? All of you." Tie Dye girl's gray eyes surveyed the students in the hallway. Everyone nodded. Satisfied Tie Dye girl held a hand out to Harry. "Need a hand?"

He let her pull him to his feet. "How did you do that?"

"What?" Her brows creased.

"The flicking and the muting of the ginger? What was that?" Harry bounced on his feet. "Was it a spell? I didn't hear an incantation. When do we learn that? Can I do it? Is there a distance requirement or will it work as long as it hits the target even if they're really far away? How long does it last? Is it a physical effect or does it interfere with our ability to hear him? Would someone who came by after the spell was cast him be able...oh no I guess they wouldn't..."

"Oh, uh it's a spell. It's not a physical effect. The incantation is silencio and this is the wand movement." She showed him.

Harry twisted his wrist. His wand popped out of the holster. Harry mimicked her. "Like that?" He looked up with large hopeful eyes. "Did I do it right?"

She gave a small squeal. "You're so cute- I mean yes just like that." She ruffled his hair. Tie Die girl glanced between him and Ron. "Hey lets have an impromptu lesson okay? I'll reverse the spell and you try to put it back on him."

Harry shook with excitement. "Lets!"

To Ron's shock and everyone else's amusement the girl flicked her wand again.

"You can't really be using me for a less-"

He was ignored though The Twins did take a moment to conjure some ropes around him to keep him in place. Strictly for academic purposes Harry was sure. They were so sweet to indulge Harry's need to express his curiosity. How did he manage to make such great friends? And a lesson already. Was it too early to earn points? He wasn't assigned a house yet. Harry would ask later.

"Okay. Not physical altering him...which is good because I don't want to accidentally hurt him...this must have some affect on the sound waves leaving him then that negates our reception of his voice...like interference on the telly only without the scratchy noise and all of the pixel-ated chaos." Harry muttered to himself. Confident he knew what he wanted his magic to do Harry flicked his wand at Ron. Thankfully for the sake of the lesson the boy was still yapping away in indignation. Whether he was really that upset or he was finally playing along was anyone's guess.

To Harry's delight it totally worked.

"I did it." Harry spun in a circle. "Fred, George did you see? Draco did you see it? Did you see what I did?" He cast a spell! With an audience and everything. He was a wizard. The best wizard ever. He had no proof of that yet but really it was only a matter of time. All of his family magicks in his little introductory journal worked for him of course but almost never on the very first try. And his aunt said he'd be a failure. He'd show her.

Tie Dye girl's mouth fell open. "He cast non verbally."

Everyone began talking at once.

"Isn't that the kid who tore the wards at Gringotts?"

"I was there that day."

"He did what!?"

Recovered amongst the gossiping Tie Dye girl approached Harry where he animatedly explained his thought process to two red headed twins and a Slytherin Prefect and several Ravenclaws who'd managed to remain in the carriage when it's occupancy went through the earlier downsize. She tapped his shoulder. Large green eyes turned to meet her.

"So are you related then? To the Lestranges I mean."

Harry ran through what he knew of his family tree. "Yes actually. Through a marriage but not by blood. I don't think." He may have been stretching that a bit but having the girl believe he was related kept him from getting beaten up in front of a frozen by shock group of older more experienced magic users and that would have been a horrible first day. In fact Harry shoved that realization somewhere into a corner of his mind. Think positive Potter. The Twins would have done something. Hopefully before Draco did.

She smiled. "That makes us cousins then I think."

"Are we?" How, with all of these family members popping up, did he end up with Aunt Petunia? The one member of his family who hated magic? Didn't anyone in the magical world think things through before they did them? Honestly who thought that was a good idea? He pulled on Draco's sleeve. "Are we related to Tie Dye girl?"

Draco and the Slytherin Prefect he'd been talking to struggled not to smile at that. The blonde shrugged elegantly. Elegantly. Who does that? "If her mum is Andromeda Black then her mum is sisters with my mum. Cousins of a sort."

"I have another cousin! And she's not hideously overweight or trying to chase me down and kick my teeth in at the park. This is great."

"Wait what?" Draco asked.

"Oh!" He spun back to Tie Dye girl. "I'm related to the Blacks too. Through my father. So we might be like cousin cousins or something."

Tie Dye girl laughed. "Oh yeah? Who is...your...father?" She trailed off, examining him suspiciously.

"We're here!"

Harry jumped, startled. "Was that an intercom? You don't have Internet but you have intercoms?"

The Prefects stared at one another. "Okay everyone, hit the carriages. Get them changed and ready to go, meet back here in five. Go!" They scattered. The students scattered with them. There was barking of orders and pushing through doors until the hallway was almost empty.

"You'd think they would have paid more attention." Murmured round faced boy, also known as Neville Longbottom. "It is their responsibility."

"Not the best examples we could have." The Twins agreed.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" Harry asked Tie Dye girl. She had picked up her comic book and was carefully putting it into a plastic sleeve and tucking it away. Tie Dye girl looked down at herself. Flashing shirt, ripped jeans. Smiley face toe socks. "Huh. Maybe you're right. Hold on." Her hair straightened, fell to her shoulders and turned blonder.

Harry made a face. Boring. "Wait, I have an idea." The little wizard ran down the hall and into the last compartment on the right.

"Uh..." She stared at the empty hallway.

Draco reached out awkwardly and patted Tie Dye girl's arm. "It'll be okay." He soothed. Familial obligations were a bother.

The raven haired boy reappeared a moment later holding a muggle fashion magazine in the air. He held it out to her. "Here...third page...hair..." He gasped. Harry leaned against the wall. He probably should have breathed at some point. One of the Twins offered Harry a glass of water. "Thanks."

Tie Dye girl raised a brow and flipped through the magazine.

Draco tilted his head. "Rebellious Fashion for the Misunderstood Youth." The blonde smirked.

Harry blushed. "Don't judge me."

"Not bad." Tie Dye girl's hair shortened, locks twisting and pulling upward into striking spikes. "Like that?"

Harry bounced around her. "Make it pink."

"Pink?" It turned a bubblegum pink. "Anyone have a mirror?" She turned and tried to examine her reflection in the window. The Twins offered her a small hand mirror.

Tie Dye girl glanced in it, grinning. "Wicked."

"What about your outfit?" Asked Longbottom. The round faced boy stood just behind Draco. He seemed uncertain if he should be there yet afraid to offended anyone if he tried to leave. Harry was sure to give him a bright smile when their eyes met. He was the good sort of boy after all and Harry though having a few of those around couldn't hurt.

Tie Dye girl got out a tie, from, somewhere, and put it around her neck. Harry would need research alternative space or storage means in the magical world. That or girls had extra pockets boys didn't know about. The tie was thin, red and black checkerboard. It clashed with her flashing shirt magnificently. "How do I look?"

"Fantastic." Assured Harry. He suspected she thought out her outfit much as he had when he designed his new school uniform. What image she was going for or her motives he didn't know. Yet. Harry was an awfully curious boy after all.

Draco cleared his throat. "I'm not sure that's an appropriate choice for uniform." Harry elbowed him. "But it looks lovely anyway."

"Oh I'm not a student. I'm an assistant professor." Tie Due girl corrected cheerfully. "I'm Assistant Professor Tonks. Muggle Studies and Defense are my subjects. You know, part of the time. There's no rule for dress for the teachers. I checked. I could run around in a pillowcase if I was in the mood."

"Assistant Professor? Is that a thing?" Draco asked skeptically. Silver eyes narrowed at the multi coloured girl.

Her cheeks flushed. "Oh well you see I'm trying to be an auror. And my scores are really good but they think I'm too young and inexperienced. I was originally going to take the next year to intern under Alastor Moody -he's retiring next summer- and use his hopefully good recommendation to get into the program." She bent down and collected her shoes somewhat embarrassed.

"So how'd you go from Auror wannabe to glorified teacher's aide?" Asked the Twins. In unison. Raising their left brow in unison.

Tie Dye girl blinked like someone exposed to something far too shiny. When her eyes refocused and she came tot he conclusion there were in fact two boys in front of her and not one twice -which would be odd indeed- she rallied. Tie Dye girl shrugged. "It was spur of the moment. The Defense Instructor for this year is usually the Muggle Studies teacher. He volunteered to take the Defense position for this year and had someone else set to fill in his old position for the year. Apparently she was caught screaming in the Gringotts foyer about robots down in the mines. The Goblins took her into custody and reassured the Ministry they were going to take get information from her then deliver her to Saint Mungos." There was an awkward silence where Harry and Draco didn't look at one another. "So then they called me to help Professor Quirrel juggle both positions. We're pretty much all going to pretend that woman wasn't locked up somewhere never to see the light of day again. There'll probably be an article about it in the Prophet tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?"

"Seems like a good time to have possibly plot relevant information come out." Harry guessed.

Neville blinked. "What?"

Percy returned then dragging a sullen Ron behind him. "Time to go everyone."

Oh good, school! The unlikely group made their way through the train doing their best to ignore the gawking students doing their best to get a glimpse at the subject of so many rumours over the trip. Harry was as always somewhat oblivious.

"You know for such a small squirt you're actually pretty powerful." Said Assistant Professor Tonks. Her shoes dangled from her left hand carelessly. She was the least teacherly looking teacher he had ever seen. Harry hadn't actually known any magical instructors prior to this so maybe it was par for the course. Or she was a rebel. Harry approved of both.

Draco smoothed Harry's hair like a proud parent. "Ollivander did say appearances would be deceiving where it came to you and your wand."

"Oh there's an idea. I'll send my owl to Master Ollivander asking for more information-"

"Did he say Master Ollivander?" Tonk's eyes widened.

"He's an apprentice?" The students weren't busy enough dressing themselves -or you know minding their own business- to not purposely over hear their conversation and then shamelessly advertise the fact. Rumours immediately began circulating. That seemed to be a thing with people here.

"-ingredients. I know the basic mechanics of wands -this magic frequency resonating with that magical frequency combine to effect most magical frequencies in such and such sort of way when a complimentary energy is forced through- but I have to wonder how the representation of the foci corresponds to its wielder's personality traits as well as their magical frequency. Does the temperamentallity of that branch of magic compare to that of the user attempting to use it? How does the wand know so much about its potential wielder? Is there a test? Does it interact with our innate magical at a subconscious level and give a reaction to indicate to its preference? Is there a-"

"Don't be ridiculous. Wand mechanics? Isn't it just magic?" The poor witch who spoke was herself oblivious to the look of horror developing on Draco's face. "I don't think it is nearly as complicated as you're trying to make it. But it's okay, you're starting school now and I am sure you'll catch on..."

Harry's entire body tensed up. He paused mid step and turned to meet a witch with unfortunate teeth and a superior facial expression. "I'm sorry. Did you say just magic?"

"Of course. It's just magic. Our magic makes the wand work, it's not a mystery." She lifted her chin. It wasn't endearing the way it was when Draco did it. It was annoying. And pushy. And oh-my-Tolkien-she-really-believes-what-she's-saying.

Harry crossed his arms, shoulders back and feet apart. It was a stance he'd practiced in the mirror. The stance the guard at the entrance to Gringotts took. Giving the slightest of a facial tic -indicating he was either trying not to smile or not to scowl, thus either amused or irritated without confirming which- he addressed in as sickeningly polite a voice as he could manage. With Aunt Petunia as a guide it wasn't all that hard to do. "I'm sorry, it's just from your Nikes I assumed you were muggleborn and quite new to the magical world. I hadn't realized you were an expert. I hadn't realized you'd extensively researched magic."

"I haven't-"

"Because that is the only reason I can think of for someone who appears to be muggle raised to act as if they know everything there is to know about a world they've never even lived in."

"I read about it." She defended. Her eyes flicked over the students who stopped to watch. "And I'm rather clever too. I read quite a few books in the time I've learned about the magical world and I think I can say with some confidence that Magic is just Magic. Some sort of energy we posses to encourage a change upon the world around us. Interesting enough certainly but not so mysterious. We're just harnessing a tool, like electricity..."

The little wizard shook like he was going to explode. Harry's hands curled into fists. He opened his mouth and-

"Quick, get him and run." Whispered Draco.

"Why?" Asked Tonks.

"Yeah," Said one Twin, leaning on his brother. "Why ruin the show?" They shared wide amused smiles at the unsuspecting victim...er...witch.

Draco told himself he couldn't choke Tonks because she was a professor and he couldn't choke the Twins because it was rude and Harry wouldn't like it. He took a deep breath. "If we don't stop it now I'm never getting sorted and you'll never get to the feast. We'll be on the way back to the platform before he's half finished telling her everything wrong with that sentence."

The Twins shrugged. "No school. I'm not seeing a downside."

"And then you'll have to explain more than where you got your clothes to your mum." Draco finished, crossing his arms.

The Twins picked up Harry and made a beeline for the closest exit. Harry to his credit kept berating the girl over their shoulders. Which was easy to do since Fred had tossed him over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Harry stopped trying to get back to the unknown muggleborn when he saw the moving carriages drawn by nothing. Unfortunately he was three steps that way when a twin scooped him up again and pointed him in the other direction.

"Boats Harry."

A sign said Forbidden Forest. Harry made for it.

A twin once again picked him up. "Harry you're never going to make it to class if you don't get to school. You need to get in the boats so you can-"

"Aw Fred," Harry whined, "I just want to have a look! There are so many interesting things I can't help it." The arms around Harry stiffened. Harry squirmed around in Fred's grasp to look up at him. The boy examined Harry without blinking. "Um George I think I broke your...brother." He trailed off. To the left George stood, examining Harry in much the same way. The little wizard squired and turned around entirely, wrapping his legs around the taller boy as he did. Fred was frozen at the moment and Harry didn't fancy falling and tumbling down the hill into the lake below. He couldn't swim. Harry reached out a finger and poked the boy's cheek. "Fred?"

And then he was suddenly squeezed tightly. George joined in from behind after a moment. Harry squeaked in surprised. A few minutes later he said. "Oh look. Remember those you were talking about? They're leaving without me." And they were. "Bye boats." He waved.

They set him down. Harry turned to make his way to the boats. If he was lucky there would be one left. He really couldn't swim. Before he could make it far he was spun in a circle several times. Dizzy, he looked up at His Twins in confusion.

"Which one of us is which?" The Twins demanded in unison.

Harry blinked. "You're Fred and he," Harry pointed, "is George. Do you need those shirts with initials again?"

Silence.

"Are you guys okay?"

Finally Fred patted Harry's head with a shaky hand. "We're just fine Harry. Go get on a boat."

"We'll see you at the welcoming feast." Added George.

Harry watched them walked away, puzzled. Magical people were strange.

He glanced at the lake and then signed. Well he supposed walking was better than boats anyway. He went to a pool only once in his life. He remembered it vividly. His cousin had held him under water until he blacked out. He hated aquatic related activities ever since. Of course he could spend some time checking out that Forbidden Forrest now since no one was around to see him doing so...

"Oi Black." Tonks called.

Drat.

"You might as well ride with us." She stood on the steps of the last horseless carriage. A tan boy stood beside her.

He gave Harry a wide smile when he caught up with them. "I can't cross the lake." Said the boy. He sucked on a bright red lollipop.

Harry shrugged. "I can't either." The boats were gone.

The other boy's grin grew. "I'm Blaise." Some of his teeth were really pointy Harry noted. Not like the clerk who gave him the map. All of his teeth were pointy. Blaise only had a few on either side that were pointy. Was that significant? He should get a book on magical races at some point.

"I'm Hadrian James Po-"

"Harry get in I'm hungry." Draco complained quietly, his head stuck out the window.

The little wizard followed Tonks and Blaise into the carriage. "You know," Harry said to himself. "I always get interrupted when I try to introduce myself properly. I wonder if it's relevant." He promptly forgot about it. He may be the Boy-Who-Lived and famous but that was from events with the old war. Kids his age didn't care about that kind of thing.

Right?

Pseudonymous Entity

2016

Notes:

Thoughts? Questions? Theories? Guesses? Limericks?

AN: No beta. No edits. I'll fix mistakes later on. I go back through all of the chapters now and then fixing mistakes I find, though some always slip through. I apologize.

ANx2: Harry is eleven. Give him time before you start pushing pairings on him okay? This ain't a romance -it's an adventure!

ANx3: You have a small amount of time (at least another chapter though maybe not so don't quote me on it. A week then?) before our little Harry (befriend-er of Goblins, Reader of Books and Crier of Suspicious Tears) is sorted into his house. If you have any guesses or any opinions/theories you would like taken into account now would be the time to give them. You'll have a short time to make your thoughts on his house known. (I've already decided of course but if you make a strong enough argument I may be willing to reconsider.)

ANx4: I know a lot of you can't WAIT for Severus to meet Harry (I don't blame you). I can't wait for him to meet Quirrelmort. Or Flitwick. In fact I have been impatiently waiting for the story to get this far since I realized I was going to make it a chaptered story. I have had the lessons for first year written out for ages, adding more in here and there as I thought of them. See you in the next chapter. -Pseu

Ever Yours, Pseu (The Magnificent!)