Chapter 8 -

"Oh well done Mr Potter, and you Miss Swan," Professor Flitwick said as he examined the cloak. "it was very smart of you to bring this to me. Merlin knows what spells could be on this."

"Yeah well growing up in the streets taught me valuable lessons, including be careful what you take from strangers."

"The streets?" Professor Flitwick repeated, pausing just before he began to cast a spell and looked towards Harry.

"Oh...you didn't know?" Harry frowned.

"I'm sorry...but the streets?" Professor Flitwick raised an eyebrow.

"It means I was homeless." Harry explained.

"Homeless?" Professor Flitwick frowned. "Professor Dumbledore told me that you lived with your muggle relatives."

"No they're part of the reason why I'm homeless, they took me to America then left me on the streets. I grew up in the streets of America and only discovered magic when Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape told me I was a wizard." Harry shrugged. "Yeah I spent most of my time sleeping where I could. They found me living in an abandoned warehouse so I figured they would've told the other professors."

"Right," Professor Flitwick said, hiding his emotions behind a calm mask that was likely to go as soon as he was alone with Albus, in fact if anything this made him more angry with Severus as the man clearly knew that Harry had been living on the streets yet still acted like the boy was a pampered prince. "well let's just get on with the cloak shall we?" He said with a smile, even though it was a little forced.

"Well Professor?" Lisa asked after Professor Flitwick waved his wand and cast several charms.

"The only things on this cloak are tracking charms." Flitwick frowned.

"Well here's the note that came with it." Harry said as Loki tossed Flitwick the note.

"Ah, thank you Mr Potter, and Loki. I must say I do love the shirt." Professor Flitwick said, giving Loki a genuine smile. Loki grinned in response. "Ah," Flitwick said upon reading the note, recognising the handwriting immediately. "I have an idea about who this belonged to. I will check on it then get back to you," Flitwick said before he waved his wand several times. "I've removed the charms on the cloak. However Mr Potter this is a serious thing, and family heirloom or not it will be confiscated if I have even a hint that you're using it to break the rules."

"With all due respect professor, I wouldn't really need this to break the rules." Harry replied. "Besides I don't really have much interest in using it at the moment, matter of fact tomorrow I am going to send it to Gringotts and have them place it in my family vault."

"Really?" Professor Flitwick and Lisa looked at him with surprise. "Mr Potter most people at your age would hardly give a second thought about keeping it and using it when necessary."

"Yeah but I've spent years sneaking around streets at night and avoiding prostitutes, crazy people and criminals without a cloak, I don't want to become reliant on one." Harry replied. "Besides this feels like someone is telling me to use the cloak, and I don't like being told what to do." Harry added with a frown.

"Well...in that case...twenty points to Ravenclaw for making smart choices, and I mean coming to me and choosing not to use your cloak." Flitwick smiled, he just knew that the boys mother would be proud.


"Hello Filius," Albus Dumbledore said as the charms professor entered his office. "how may I help you?"

"I'd like it if you stood up and came here so I can punch you right in your balls." Flitwick replied.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"May...I ask why?" Albus said, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you're too tall for me to punch in the face, unless you're willing to let me climb on the desk and punch you."

"Perhaps you could start with why you want to punch me and we will work from there." Dumbledore suggested.

"Fine, first of all, why was I not informed that Harry Potter lived 'on the streets'?" Flitwick glared at him. "And why was he living on the streets?!"

"Ah," Dumbledore sighed. "there is indeed a reason for that."

"Well I am all ears Albus, you tell me right here and now why the son of one of my favourite students and the 'saviour of the wizarding world' was homeless in another country?"

"Shortly after the deaths of young Harry's parents I relocated Harry, Sirius Black was a traitor and by the time I had done the necessary tests on the boys health the Longbottoms were attacked. It was too dangerous to allow Harry to stay in the wizarding world, I had used Lily's sacrifice to create some blood wards to protect Harry. To create those wards I needed to put Harry with family, so I placed him with his muggle relatives. I had hoped that they would treat him lovingly. However it was not to be and I only discovered that when I went to give him his Hogwarts letter."

"I should still have been told." Flitwick frowned.

"It was Harry's story and..."

"Albus, I am responsible for the boy. If the boy needed to see a mind healer or a physical healer then I should know, if the boy killed someone then I would not refuse to tell you because 'it's his story'. I do not want to know each and everything about the boy but I do deserve to know important things like the fact that the boy was living in a warehouse!"

"You are right," Albus lowered his head slightly. "I do apologise for that and I will try to inform you in the future if I learn more..."

"That's good but I am not done." Flitwick interrupted. "Severus knew the boy-who-lived had lived on the streets, didn't he?"

"Yes," Albus said, suddenly looking very tired. "yes he did, he and Professor McGonagall are currently the only others aware apart from yourself."

"Yet you still allowed the man to act like the boy was a spoilt brat?!" Flitwick demanded. "James Potter started school as an arrogant and misbehaving boy yes, but that was natural since he grew up in a family with rich parents. Harry Potter on the other hand lost his parents while becoming the most famous boy in the country and spent the next few years of life being homeless."

"Filius I trust Severus." Dumbledore replied.

"Yes, I am well aware because that is your answer for every time a member of staff complains about Severus but it is frankly I am getting tired of it. You may trust Severus but I do not trust the man who can let his judgment be so affected by a grudge with a dead man that he cannot tell the difference between spoilt rich kid and homeless smart kid. As I said before control Severus before someone loses their patience with him. Now on to my final problem, for today at least, Harry Potter's invisibility cloak."

"How do you know about that?" Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly.

"Because the boy was intelligent enough to not accept a cloak from a stranger who didn't even bother to give a name. He brought it to me so I could check it for charms and make sure it was safe."

"I did not want Mr Potter to think that I was giving him permission to break the rules and..."

"Yet you gave him an invisibility cloak of all things."

"It was the boys property, his father gave it to me before he died so I could study it. I could not give it to him when he was younger because I was under the impression that he was living in the muggle world."

"You could have sent the cloak to Gringotts and have them put it in his family vault, and what about the tracking charms you put on it?"

"If I didn't put the charms on then it's possible for the boy to misuse it and..."

"You do not have to worry about that, I have removed the charms."

"Filius," Dumbledore said with a disproving look. "you have basically just given the boy free reign to..."

"No I haven't," Flitwick cut him off. "Mr Potter has decided to do what you should have done and place the cloak in the Potter family vault."

"Really?!" Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped slightly at that piece of information. Why on Earth would the boy not use such a valuable asset like an invisibility cloak?

"Yes, clearly a spoilt brat." Flitwick snorted before he walked out, he stopped at the doorway. "Dumbledore, you get off lucky this time, the next time I go for the balls." He said before walking out of the room.

Dumbledore was deep in thought once Flitwick had gone, however not so deep to not realise that he had crossed his legs.


"I still can't believe you sent your invisibility cloak away," Lisa said as the two walked back from the owlery. "Not a lot of people would have done that."

"Yeah but a lot of people are unimaginative, if I happen to need it then I can just get it back with a single trip or letter, but I'd much rather it be safe in a Gringotts vault then here where somebody could just steal it at any old time."

"You worry about stealing?" Lisa asked.

"All the time," Harry nodded. "when you have very little in the world the few things you do have are a lot more precious. Besides I know how to steal with the best of them, it's easy for me." Harry said just as Draco Malfoy and his group walked towards them.

"Watch where you're going Potter." Malfoy sneered as he pushed Harry's shoulder with his own on his way past.

"See," Harry said as he twirled Malfoy's wand in his hands once Draco was far enough to hear them. "that's why I'd like it if my dad's cloak which is worth a lot in money and sentimentality be safe in a Gringotts vault. I might bring it back with me next year though." Harry shrugged before he casually tossed Malfoy's wand out of a window.

"Okay that makes sense," Lisa admitted. "as long as you're sure."

"I am," Harry nodded. "anyway I've got to go to quidditch practise, do you want to come and watch?" Harry offered.

"Hmm...sure...why not?" She smiled.


Near the end of the year Harry found himself leaving Professor Flitwick's classroom with Loki on his shoulder, Harry had just finished one of his extra lessons with the charms master. He yawned, something that Loki copied, and walked back to the common room. However he was stopped on his way.

"Harry!" A voice called, Harry stopped and turned around to see Ron Weasley rushing towards him with Hermione Granger walking after him. "Brilliant Harry! You'll help us!" Ron said in a relived voice.

"You know that one of my most favourite words in the whole world is 'context'." Harry said as he glanced between the two.

"Look, we've discovered something." Hermione said. "Something big."

"The cure to cancer?" Harry asked hopefully.

"No."

"How to stop world hunger or cause world peace?"

"No but..."

"Something to solve any of the world's major problems?"

Well no but..."

"Well in that case it can't be that important can it." Harry smirked. "Goodbye now."

"Wait! It's really important! Snape's going to steal the stone!" Ron blurted out.

"I'm sorry what drugs are you on?" Harry frowned. "What are you on about?"

"The philosopher's stone," Hermione Granger replied. "The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary alchemical substance with magical properties. It's a ruby-red stone that could be used to create the Elixir of Life, which made the drinker immortal, as well as transform any metal into pure gold. The only known Stone to have ever existed was created by the famed alchemist Nicolas Flamel. We think that's what Headmaster Dumbledore is hiding on the third floor."

"Makes anything into pure gold? Keep going, you have my errection." Harry responded with a smile.

"You mean your attention?" Hermione frowned while making a mental note to look up that word and what it meant.

"That too," Harry nodded. "so something about the philosopher's stone."

"Right we've worked out that it's in the third floor," Ron said proudly. "Hagrid the game keeper has got a giant three headed dog guarding it, no really he does," Ron added when Harry gave him a disbelieving look. "and we think Snape's trying to steal it."

"You do see the flaw in your line of thinking, right?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? What are you on about?" Ron frowned.

"Well you think Snape is stealing the supposed stone, have you ever considered that Snape is a bit obvious of a suspect? I mean have none of you ever watched Scooby doo? Or heard of Sherlock Holmes?"

"I have." Hermione said while Ron looked confused.

"Then you would clearly know that it's never the most obvious suspect."

"That's in stories, not real life." Hermione argued.

"Our lives aren't in real life." Harry countered. "I mean look at us, we're in a magical school where we learn spells from teachers, some of whom can turn into animals, and we use wands and dress in robes. Heck I even have a monkey, what regular kid in real life just has a monkey?" Harry said as he gestured to Loki. "Also since coming to this school I have learnt magic, flew on a broomstick and fought off a troll yet it 'never being the most obvious suspect' is where you draw the line?" Harry asked as he looked at her like she was an idiot, causing her to blush with embarrassment.

"Oh whatever, we've got to stop Snape from stealing the stone!" Ron said, re-entering himself into the conversation.

"Hmm, pretty sure we don't." Harry replied with a thoughtful look.

"What?!" The two gasped and looked at him with disbelief.

"Hey, I don't get paid to protect the stone." Harry said defensively. "Besides it's the teachers job to defend it, not mine."

"But the teachers don't believe us and Dumbledore's left the castle!" Ron argued. "Snape's going to go after it tonight!"

"Well...in that case rest in peace philosopher's stone, hopefully Snape's breath doesn't melt you." Harry said with a sad shake of his head as Loki wiped away fake tears from his eyes.

"You're not going to do anything?!" Ron demanded. "You're the boy-who-lived!"

"So is pretty much every other boy who is currently alive, that's a stupid name." Harry said before a smile appeared on his face. "If I had to chose a name for myself it'd be 'death blade' or 'dark ninja' or...I don't know actually but something cooler than 'the boy-who-lived'. Really stupid name."

"But you've got to help us!" Hermione said. "You're a hero! You stopped the troll!"

"Actually that was gravity," Harry responded. "I am no hero. I'm just a guy who likes the simple things in life and plans to enjoy them. So what if Snape, who I don't actually believe is trying to steal it by the way, tries to get it? Best case he'll fail, worse case he's rich and lives longer, hopefully it'll convince the prat to leave the school. Besides what exactly do you think you lot can do if it was Snape?" Harry shrugged before turning and walking away.

"That's it?!" Hermione shouted. "You're not going to do anything?!"

"I am going to go back to my common room, read a book then go sleep." Harry replied without looking back. "Good night." Harry added before he turned a corner. "Wow those two are slow," Harry said to Loki once he was sure that they wouldn't be heard. "almost as slow as the rest if they still think that the stone is in the third floor." Harry grinned just as Loki made a noise that would best be described as laughter.


"Ravenclaw wins." Dumbledore said at the leaving feast, the Ravenclaw table burst into cheers.

Dumbledore gave a smile while internally he was thinking about the situation he was currently in. He was not surprised that another house besides Slytherin had won, this year Severus had been forced to 'behave' for lack of a better term and that meant no favouring Slytherin's or sabotaging other houses. Of course the man did not go quietly but reluctantly agreed just so he could keep his job, though he still glared at Professor Flitwick and Harry Potter whenever he saw them.

Speaking of Harry, Dumbledore was a bit disappointed that the boy did not go after the philosopher's stone. Dumbledore had left various hints throughout the year but it seemed like Harry had ignored them. Dumbledore had hoped to have Harry face off against Professor Quirrell to not only test his magical strength but also to make sure if his mothers protection was still working. It would also be a nice test to see if Harry was willing to fight for the light.

When Dumbledore arrived he found Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley stuck on Professor Flitwick's room as neither possessed the broom skills to get pass it, he instructed them to wait there before he went after Quirrell. He and Quirrell duelled, it ended with Voldemort's wraith flying out of Quirrell's body upon realising that he would not win the duel, an act which unfortunately killed Quirrell.

Later upon talking to Mr Weasley and Miss Granger Dumbledore had learnt that they tried to stop Quirrell and tried talking Harry into helping them but Harry refused because he believed that it was not his job and that it was teachers job to defend the stone, Dumbledore knew that the boy was right but still could not help but feel disappointed in him. Of course he could not voice this disappointment out loud because 'I am disappointed you didn't try to stop a teacher from stealing a magical artifact in a forbidden part of the corridor' was not a conversation that would go in his favour.

However the worst part was the fact that when Dumbledore checked the mirror that contained the stone the stone was not there, he had no idea where it had gone. He had checked Mr Weasley and Miss Granger for it but they did not have it, the only other student he thought that knew about it was Harry but he had apparently not known about it until he was told by Mr Weasley and Miss Granger. Dumbledore was tempted to ask his staff to search all of the students possessions but that would not go over well with the students, especially those with dark families, and it could lead to more questions being asked that Dumbledore did not want to answer.


"So Harry," Lisa said as the pair sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts express at the end of their first year. "where are you going to stay for the summer?"

"Leaky cauldron," Harry answered. "you can visit me there if you want. I had asked Tom if I could have a job there for the summer. So I'll be working in exchange for a discount on my stay."

"It's a shame that you don't have a home to go to." Lisa frowned.

"Actually I do but it won't be ready by this summer." Harry replied. "When I went to Gringotts they checked some of the properties I have from my family, they've sent me updates. I've sold off a few, after that it was just deciding which one to live in. I decided near the end of the year and sent them a letter asking them to fix it and ward it. By the time they reckon it'll be done I'll be getting packed to go back to Hogwarts. What about you? Will I get to meet your parents today?"

"No," Lisa shook her head. "they're busy so they're sending a house elf to come and get me. Anyway, at least this summer I have someone I can actually visit. are you sure it's fine for me to visit?"

"Well the cauldron is a public pub, it's not like I can say no. Plus if you're worried about me then I won't mind, I'm pretty sure Loki won't mind. Loki, do you mind?" Harry asked as he looked to Loki who was sitting next to him and pretending to read a book, Loki looked up from his book and smiled before shaking his head. "You have Loki's seal of approval, you no longer have to worry about anything."

"Glad to know." Lisa smirked.


A.N: Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter.

I know there are a few questions like how did Harry get the stone and so on but they will be answered later. Also next chapter will be Harry's summer before second year.

podlizurko - Thank you for another great chapter. If you dont mind spoiling how rich is Harry in this story compared to the Swan family? Asking because there are plenty of fics where they make the Potters way too rich for my tastes.

Response: In this story I have made the Swan family the richest family around, the Potters are rich but nowhere near the same. They're not quite as rich as the Malfoys but they're close and I think that's fair enough for a famous and ancient and most noble house.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a review.