I own nothing but my character Elly, everything else is owned by their proper owners. That includes any references to brands or trademarked material. I make no money from this so if you sue me all you'll get is this cell phone.

A Really Stupid Idea

Chapter 1

The sound of feet running hard and the panting, panicked, breathing of a small child echoed down a forgotten, cramped, little alley. The baying of hounds echoed in the confined space a moment later as a trio of them chased after the child. A archaic parchment letter was clamped tightly in the boy's hand as he tried to out pace the creatures.

"Mom!" The boy cried in desperation as he felt one of the dog's teeth snag his ratty old clothes and cause him to trip and fall onto his face in the alley. The boy despaired and curled into a ball on instinct to try and resist the coming mauling. A sudden snap and a strangled yelp followed by a strange sound like paint splattering on the ground was all that greeted the boy. A moment passed, then two and still no attack came. The boy peaked behind him to try and discover why he had not been attacked and all he saw was a pair of plain but immaculate sneakers. His eyes trailed upward over a pair of new brown slacks and an equally clean cream colored hoodie. They finally came to rest on the green eyes centered in the face of his mother.

"Moma!" The boy cried again and lunged for her legs holding them tight in a hug fueled by his previous fear and relief at being saved.

"Shh, it's ok now. They can't hurt you ever again." His mother whispered as she leaned down to pull him into a proper hug.

The boy nodded into her shoulder and looked around the little alley, the dogs were nowhere to be seen, not even a trace of them remained. Deciding they must have run away from his mother the boy relaxed. After a moment his mother gently pushed him out to arm's length as she looked him over. Several scrapes on his knees and elbows drew her attention as did the dirt on his face. She licked one of her thumbs and ran it over his face to clean away the filth and yet none of it stuck to her as it seemed to just vanish. Her hands quickly cleaned him, paying special attention to his shaggy black hair and the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

After a few more minutes of her fussing over him the boy held out the letter he had crumpled in his hand. "Hey mom, look at this." She looked down at it before taking it from him and smoothing it out enough to be legible. Her eyes flicked back and forth a minute before she smiled and handed the letter back to him. Her green eyes, no where near as bright as the emeralds that graces his own face, betrayed the confusion she felt.

"That's very nice John, but how did you get signed up for a school?" John shook his head. "I don't know mama, an owl dropped it on me when I was in the park."

His mother brushed her bright red hair that she kept in a simple pony tail back over her shoulder before scooping up her eleven year old son like he weighed no more than a toddler and heading deeper into the alley. "That's a silly way to get a letter." His mother said with a smile that practically glittered, even in the shadows of the alley way. "How are you supposed to reply? We don't have an owl." His mother puzzled as she carried him.

John squirmed a little in his mother's grasp. He was old enough that being carried like this was embarrassing even with no one around to see. But his mother didn't even seem to notice and her grip stayed firm. After a few more minutes he was finally set down in the dead end that he and his mother called home. The little alley was walled in on three sides by buildings, making a nice little spot protected from almost everything but rain.

John flopped down on a sofa that someone had thrown out with the garbage and he recalled the fun little adventure that had been had when he and his mother stole it. A weight settled next to him and he looked up to find his mother smiling down at him with a clean rag and a bottle of vodka in her hand. John whined but a stern look from her and he resigned himself to let her tie the alcohol soaked bandages around his scratches.

"So?" John asked as the last bandage was tied and they both relaxed onto the sofa.

"So what?" His mother replied with an inquisitive look.

"Can I go?" John said pulling himself up to present his best rendition of the famous 'puppy dog eyes'. His mother could never resist whatever he asked for when he acted cute.

But now she looked back at him sadly. "I don't think I can pay for a private school."

John's eyes immediately fell and he nodded, he knew not to argue when his mother said that. He looked around at their alley home with sad eyes, he understood more than most kids his age that money was a hard thing to come by.

"But hey! Don't be sad! Maybe I can try teaching you magic again! We haven't tried everything I know and something has to work right?" His mother seemed desperate as she climbed off the couch to sit in front of him on her knees. Her eyes looked like they would burst into tears at any second and John kicked himself for asking for things 'beyond their means'. His mother, wanted to give him everything he wanted and he had forgotten how much it hurt her when she had to say no to him.

"Yeah!" John said, forcing himself to look a lot happier than he was. "We just have to keep trying!" He said with as much fake enthusiasm as he could muster. He remembered the few times his mother had done magic. They had always used it to stay one step ahead of trouble. Police, other homeless people, criminals, all of them had either been evaded or were 'sent away' by his mother's magic. He sent her a more genuine smile and she suddenly looked far more cheerful.

"I'll do the best I can." She said as she pulled him into a hug which he returned wholeheartedly, cuddling into her shoulder and squeezing her tightly with his small arms.

The days came and went after that and strangely more and more letters were delivered to him, most of which in their little alley. It was strange these people were so pushy without providing any means for them to politely decline as the Owls always just dropped them and flew off. They burned most of them, the alley feeling wonderfully cozy while the strange fuel was plentiful. They did other things with them too, his mother was even currently sleeping on a pile of them. It had been a while since the first letter arrived and the weird flood kept coming until just about an hour ago.

John pushed the last of the letters that had been starting to choke their little home into the 'to be burned' pile. With a swipe of his sleeve over his sweaty brow he sat turned to go lay down with his mother. He hadn't made it a single step before a loud voice echoed down the alley. "'Arry? You back 'ere 'arry?"

John froze and turned to look into the darkness that veiled the passage to their little home from most outsiders. He stared hard for a moment until he saw a large shadow making its way towards them. "Mom!" John cried in alarm as the shadow neared.

His mother turned her head towards him in confusion before spotting the shadow of the huge man just before he entered their little hide away. His mother leapt to her feet and pulled her son behind her as the man stepped into the light of the fire. He was huge, easily the biggest person John had ever seen. He was wearing a worn leather jacket and had a big, bushy, black beard and black eyes that shone out from his face like beetles.

"That you 'arry?" He said as he peered at them, shielding his eyes from the light of the fire.

"There isn't anyone here named 'arry" his mother said as she drew herself up. Of course this was an entirely futile effort, his mom was short for normal people, no way she could compare to the giant man.

"Yes 'er is, tha' looks like 'em there." The man said pointing a huge grubby finger at John.

"His name is John and you leave my son alone." His mother said as she held out an arm to make sure he was well behind her. John was scared, it was very rare when his mother took that tone with people and it usually preceded her using her spells to make them go away.

The man looked confused, shifting his gaze between the two of them. "No... Na' way that'll be you Lilly? You was dead, we all saw you!"

Mother looked confused. "My name is Elly..." She said, relaxing slightly. Maybe this man was just another addled drunk his mom would have to shoo away.

"Ah' see now, sorry bout tha'. You look a lil' like her ya'know. It's the eyes, and tha' hair ah' think."

Elly shuffled a little, relaxing further but still ready to make the man go away should the need arise. "What do you want?" She asked after a moment of awkward feeling silence.

"Oh! Sorry, ahm' from Hogwarts, we nerer' got your owl so tha' headmaster sent me ya fetch young 'arry there" the man said as he pulled out another letter and a squashed looking box which he sat on a spool that we used as a table.

"Oh..." Elly looked taken aback for a minute. "...I'm sorry for being rude, we've never had a guest here that wasn't trying to cause trouble." She pulled John around to stand next to her and stroked his head, trying to reassure him. John pressed close to his mother's side, still not trusting the big man.

"Nothin' ta be worrien' about. I brought ya' a cake fer' ya' birthday 'arry. Might a' sat on it on tha' way here tho'." The man said as he opened the box and revealed a cake that only looked a little squished.

John looked at the strange cake with the words "Happy Birthday Harry" scrawled on it with icing and a single candle sticking out the top. Strange that the man seemed to know his birthday, even if it wasn't for another couple of days.

"Wher' tha' Dursleys? Weren't they tha' ones tha' was ta' take care o' ya?" The big man took a step away from the table as John and Elly neared.

Elly took a pinch of the cake and tasted it for a second before nodding at her son who tore into the poor confection like he was starving. "Who now?" She said as the turned to face him, licking the little bit of icing off of her fingers.

"Tha' muggle family Dumbledore an' I left young 'arry with." The big man said. Watching John eat with worry in his eyes.

"I don't know," Elly said. "I took my son when someone sat him out by some garbage cans. It was going to rain so I couldn't just leave him there."

"Ah..." The man said looking down at the ground and clenching one of his hands. He perked up after a minute or so before holding out his hand. "Sorry, names Rubius Hagrid, jus' call me Hagrid, ever' one does. Tha headmaster of Hogwarts sent me to collect your son so we can get 'is school stuff."

Elly looked sad again. "But I can't afford for my son to go to a private school."

Hagrid looked startled. "Ya' got it all wrong. He's been paid for." He said gesturing to John. "Before'n 'is parents died."

"Oh..." Elly said before she turned and knelt next to her son. "You hear that?" She asked. John nodded and handed her a chunk of cake which she wasted no time in eating. Hagrid looked a little uncomfortable watching them as they had a hushed conversation interspersed with rapid consumption of the cake he brought.

Finally after several minutes and one decimated cake the pair stood up and turned back to Hagrid. "Ok." Elly said, hand in hand with her son.

"Great!" Hagrid said as he led them out of the alley to a waiting motorcycle. Elly and John crawled into the sidecar and managed to not look startled when the thing took off.

"Where are we going?" John shouted over the wind as they sped through the sky.

"Diagon ally!" Hagrid shouted back over the wind. "Nice place but not'n as good as Hogwarts!"

Elly and John shared a look as the motorcycle dipped towards a city below.

.XXX.

It was a cheerful and excited John that finally made it out of the dingy little pub and into the wizarding world proper. His mother stood behind him, both hands resting on his shoulders as they walked. They both glanced rapidly around but with very different expressions. John's face was filled with wonder and excitement while his mother's was wary.

"Right! First'n things first. Ta Gringotts tha wizardin' bank." Hagrid said as he led them up a set of marble stairs, past a pair of living lion statues and into the building itself. They passed by rows of squat, ugly, little creatures at desks till they reached a large counter. "Here ta' make a withdrawal from tha' Potter vault." Hagrid said to the creature on the other side.

"I see..." The thing said as it leaned up to look down at John with a sneer. Elly wrapped her arm around her son and shot the creature a withering glare and to Hagrid's surprise the creature quickly sat back and refused to look in their direction again. "Do you have Mr. Potter's key?"

"Got it right 'ere." Hagrid said as he dug through his pockets for a moment before placing a small key on the counter. "I'm ah also 'ere to pick up you know what from vault seven, thirteen." Hagrid placed a bit of parchment down to the key which the creature read over before nodding.

A few moments later the group was on a cart deep into the earth. "What are those things?" John asked, shouting over the wind.

"Goblins!" Hagrid bellowed back just as the cart began to slow.

After the cart ground to a halt and the three climbed onto the platform their goblin escort held out his hand and gruffly demanded "Key please." With a quick turn of the key the door swung open revealing a room stuffed with piles and piles of gold, silver, and bronze.

John and his mother's eyes both widened at the sight. "Is this really mine?" John asked, his voice filled with amazement.

"Yep tis' all yurs' 'arry." Hagrid said wavin his arm over the room. "We won' be takin' much ta'day though, just'n need some fer' your school things." He said turning back to the pair.

But they weren't listening to him anymore. "Do you see it Mama!" John shouted as he hopped up and down in joy. He tackled his mother's legs and she crumpled to her knees, the shock of the situation rendering her numb. "I'm gonna buy you a big house and a big yard and lots of that fancy food!" He said while squeezing her tightly. "It's gonna have real beds and a roof that doesn't let the rain in!"

Elly looked down at him and the sudden easing of ten years worth of worrying for her son's future evaporated. Tears blurred her vision as her son rambled about all the things he was going to buy her with his new found wealth. "Silly," she said, choking around a sob. "I'm supposed to be the one-" she never finished as she broke down. John hugged her tightly and the pair of them rocked back and forth, locked in a joyful, relieved stupor.

Hagrid shifted around feeling a little uncomfortable to be intruding on such a moment. As quietly as a man his size could manage he scooped up some of each type of coinage before gently guiding mother and son back into the cart. A quick stop at a much smaller and far more creepy looking vault 713 to pick up something wrapped in a bit of paper and they were done.

.XXX.

It was a much different feeling group that emerged back onto the street. Mother and son seemed reluctant to let each other go and Elly was trying to dab her eyes with a tablecloth sized handkerchief.

"Err, next things tha' robes." Hagrid said a little awkwardly. "It'll take 'em all day so'n be best ta' get 'em first."

The pair nodded and followed him to the store. He handed Elly the sack of money, exchanging it for his handkerchief. "Thank you." She said, a glittering smile already in place even though her eyes were still a bit drippy. Hagrid nodded and waved them inside. "I'm off ter get ah' pick me up at teh' Caldron. I hate those Gringotts carts."

They nodded and headed into the shop labeled as "Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions." Inside was filled with rows and rows of eccentrically colored fabrics and other paraphernalia appropriate for a seamstress.

"Hogwarts dear?" Said an older woman, presumably Madam Malkin, who suddenly seemed to materialize out of the stacks.

"Yes." Elly said, John remaining quiet and looking around the shop.

"Yes, yes. Right this way dearies, into the back. So many new students this year." The old witch said as they followed her to the fitting area. John was helped onto a stool at the urging of the proprietress and stood there awkwardly as she took his measures. "Tsk tsk, such worn out clothing. Might I interest you in a new casual wardrobe while you're here?" The old witch asked as the tinkling of a bell announced another customer.

"Um, yes please." Elly said nodding. "That would be wonderful."

"If course dear, one moment." The old witch smiled and then vanished back to the front of the shop to see to her other customers.

"Mom, this is weird." John whined from his stool.

Elly smiled and ruffled his shaggy hair. "You've just never been to a tailor before, it's alright." She said comfortingly.

The old witch returned leading a young boy, probably around the same age as John. The boy had slicked back, pale blonde, hair and made to sneer at the both of them.

John and his mother both frowned at him and shot each looks complete with rolling eyes and giggles. The boy just scoffed at them and paid them no more attention as he was measured just like John had been.

It wasn't long till the old witch pronounced them finished and to return the next day to pick up their other order. To their great surprise Hagrid was waiting for them outside the shop and trying his best to hang onto three ice cream cones. Elly and John took the cones quickly, saving him from dropping them everywhere.

"Thank you Hagrid, you didn't have to do this for us." Elly said before licking the cone to keep the treat from dripping onto her hands. She gave John a nudge with her foot when she noticed he was a little too engrossed in his chocolate and raspberry cone.

"Thanks." John said distractedly, earning a giggle from his mother and a grin from Hagrid.

"Was no problem, ya' looked like ya' needed ah' pick me up too." Hagrid said as he took a bite out of his own ice cream.

Elly nodded with a grin and the three of them finished their treats before heading off to the stationary shop. Once inside Elly grimaced at the quills and sprung for a fountain pen instead. When asked about it she only responded "Have you ever tried writing with a quill? It's the hardest thing I have ever tried!"

Next stop was the book store Flourish and Blotts where John had to literally be dragged away from a book on charms. The place was piled high with all manner of strange books and before long Hagrid ended up having to drag the both of them out.

Next they picked up the caldron, John had wanted to buy one made out of solid gold but a stern look from his mother had him forgetting all about it. They had bought scales and a telescope as well, making Elly giggle as she and John passed it back and forth, looking at various oddly magnified things.

After that was the apothecary, which smelled just plain awful but Elly never seemed to care while John didn't even want to go in. Still the draw of the various horrifying ingredients was too much and he ended up looking through the shop with his mother while Hagrid bought the basics for his potion class.

Finally they ended up at Ollivander's where Hagrid said he had one last errand to run. Mother and son nodded and ventured into the narrow, ancient looking shop. Elly made particular note of the sign "since 382 b.c." and giggled. John looked at her strangely and she waved him off and said "I just bet nee-chan might have been interested in this place." John nodded, having heard many stories about his mother's long lost sister.

Inside the shop was quiet and gave the both of them a creepy feeling. They stood in silence for a few minutes until a man seemed to materialize behind them.

"Ah, yes. I thought I might be seeing you soon Harry Potter." The man walked closer, silver eyes shining behind his spectacles.

"My name is John Primrose." John said, puffing out his chest and glaring up at the spindly man. He was proud of the name his mother had given him and would use it, even if most everyone else seemed to know him by another.

"Is it now?" The man walked up to John and swept aside his shaggy hair to reveal the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. "I'm afraid I sold the wand that did that to you-"

"Excuse me, please don't touch my son." Suddenly a cream colored shape stepped in front of John, blocking the man from view and knocking his hand away.

"Who's this?" The man trailed his eyes up and down Elly's shape for a minute. "Very interesting." He said before wandering back into the shop. "You look so much like Lily young lady, a wonder you would end up with her child." Elly rolled her eyes at him, was everyone going to talk about that?

After a few minutes the man emerged from the gloom holding an arm full of boxes. "Let's start with these." He said passing them each a wand. John gave his a flick but it was snatched out of his hand before he could complete the motion, Elly just stood there looking confused.

"Umm, we're here to get a wand for my son..." Elly started only for that man to make a shooing motion with his hand. "Go on girl, give it a wave, you don't carry a wand but I know you have the gift. I also know my customers and I am certain you have never set foot in my shop before. So two first time customers today." He said with a self assured nod.

"Do it mom! Wouldn't it be awesome if you could do your magic all the time instead of just emergencies?" John said as he tested out another wand.

"Well I suppose..." Elly said, giving the wand in her hand a wave. Nothing happened and Ollivander hummed before taking back the wand and looking it over.

"Hmm, very interesting indeed," he said to himself before vanishing into the back again.

John continued waving around the wand he had in his hand until Ollivander returned and snatched it away as well. "Try these." He said handing them each a new wand. John's immediately shot sparks. Elly's remained inert in her hand. "Ah, as I expected Mr. Potter, or Mr. Primrose now I suppose. It would only do for your wand to be the twin of his. You see, the phoenix whose feather resides in that wand gave one other feather, just the one. The other residing in the wand of the man who gave you that scar. The very man who murdered your parents, Lord Voldemort."

John looked to His mother who had her eyebrows raised in surprise. "What are you talking about?" She said as her eyes narrowed. She jabbed the inert wand in her hand at the man who dropped to the floor in panic. She was confused for a moment before she spotted the plants growing out of the edge of one of the shelves. "Sorry," she muttered sitting the thing down onto the counter.

Ollivander gathered himself and stood up, brushing off a few blades of grass that had spontaneously grown on his vest. "No harm done my dear. It would seem my guess was spot on."

"What were you talking about before?" Elly asked as the man cleared away the other boxes.

"Oh everyone knows the story of "the boy who lived" of how the dark lord murdered his parents. His last killing curse was reflected back at him by a mere infant, giving you that scar and ending his reign of terror." The old man stood behind his register and shot them a significant look. "There are those who believe that the Dark Lord is not yet finished with you my boy. That he will rise again and return to take his vengeance." He pressed a few keys. "That will be fourteen Galleons."

.XXX.

AN: Well... Heres a new project I've started to help my writer's block. I'm really trying to work on Banded Exiles but progress is slow. I'll update BE as much as I can, but I'm probably going to be working on this for a time.