If Things Were Different: The Sorcerer's Stone
Chapter Three: A Day on the Town
Summary: What if Harry left the Dursley's behind? What if he grew up far from Privet Drive? What if he wasn't a Gryffindor? What if he had different friends? What if he wasn't the golden boy that they wanted him to be? AU first year. NOT slash. R/R
A/N hi. Read. Enjoy. Review.
Disclaimer: If I had a million dollars I'd be rich. But not nearly as rich as J.K.R, who owns the Harry Potter universe (not me).
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Pause.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Pause.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Pause.
"Damn, I'm coming, I'm coming." Harry peered through the peep hole in his apartment door before unlocking several various locks and swinging it open.
"Are all you Brits so impatient, or just you?" Harry asked the greasy haired vistor in annoyance as he attempted to smooth the wrinkles out of his t-shirt.
"You do remeber that I will be your Professor this year, Mr. Potter?" The potions master stated, making it clear that he didn't expect an answer.
"Yeah, whatev. Let me grab some cash then we can be out." Harry mumbled offhandaly as he fished around in an unorganized drawer for a momemnt before pulling out a handful of $20 bills. He put them up to his lips and gave them a quick kiss muttering, "There she is." He stuffed the money in his pocket and turned expectantly to Snape, waiting for instructions.
"You do know you have vaults full of gold at Gringotts, don't you?... Grab this, its a portkey." He said withdrawing a tattered old dictionary from his pocket and extending towards Harry.
"Yeah, I figured that I'd live off that stuff..."
"5...4..."
"I'm gonna use that," he glanced at his pocket, "for spending money..."
"2...1..."
POP. Harry felt a tug behind his naval as the world sped around him. Several seconds latter he found himself collapsing onto the floor in what appeared to be an old pub. Once he had stood up, dusted himself off, and glared at Snape for not giving him fair warning; Harry took a look around at his surroundings.
It was, in fact, a tiny, grubby-looking pub that was quite overdue for a good ol' scrubbing. It was quite dark, shabby, and an intense smell of a mixture between alcohol and fried eggs drifted through the air. A few old women wore sitting in a corner having a smoke and sipping on glasses of sherry. A small, buff man whom reminded Harry strangely of a Dwarf was iddily chatting with the bartender, who was quite bald and toothless. Harry saw a women eating a strange substance which reminded Harry of a picture he had seen of a hag.
As soon as Harry and the professor had 'popped' in the low buzz and chatter suitable for such a place stopped.
"Ah, Snape. The usual?" The old bartender questioned, already reaching for a bottle of firewisky.
"No thank you," Snape shriveld up his nose at the old bartneder, "I'm just taking young Mr. Potter to get his supplies."
"Potter. Blimey, is that...no it can't be..." Tom the bartender was at loss for words.
"Why yes...there's the scar!" The bartender, along with the rest of the pub's inhabitants had frozen in shock. A small man in a top hat broke the silence.
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, such an honor. Im Diggle, Dedaulus Diggle." This led to a mad rush as the rest of the witches and wizards made a mad dash to shake the boy's hand.
"An honor to meet you Mr. Potter."
"Can't believe I'm finally meeting you Mr. Potter..."
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter..."
"Welcome back, welcome back..."
The commotion was beginging to die down when Snape called out, in his cold voice. "Quirrell! Is that you? What are you doing?"
A small, pale young man with a purple turban around his head stopped in mid- step on his way to the door. Harry felt a sharp pain pass through his scar as the man turned around. Harry felt an instant dislike and discomfort around the man, and subconsciously his hand flicked towards one of his many hidden knives.
"J-just p-p-passing through Professor S-Snape."
"I see. Mr. Potter, Professor Quirrell is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." He paused and glared at the small man, who turned even paler. "Don't you wish to say hello to your future pupil, Professor?"
"Of course. P-pleasure to meet you P-Potter." Harry grimily nodded to indicate he heard him. He definatley didn't like this man.
It wasn't for another five minutes before Snape and Harry had fought thier way out the backdoor into a small, walled courtyard containg nothing but a trash cans and a few weeds. Harry glanced up at his professor questionaly.
Snape, however, was paying Harry little attention and was counting bricks on the wall above the trash can. "Three up...two across...Right." He tapped a brick in the wall three times with the tip of his wand.
The brick he had touched quickly began to shake. After a second a hole appeared in the brick and quickly began to expand until Harry was standing in front of a large archway which revealed cibbeled street, twisting and turning out of sight.
"Diagon Alley, Harry."
Harry gaped in amazement and looked around, his usual nonchalent demeanor being replaced with awe. A stack of cauldrens teaterd outside a near shop window. Caulrons - All Sizes - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.
"First requirment for potion making, we'll get you one after Gringotts." Snape muttered and pushed Harry along. Harry continued to look around in amazement at the shops, the people, the whole atmosphere.
He glanced around at shop signs: Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy; Quaility Quidditch Supplies (Nimbus Two Thousand In Stock!); Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions (Hogwarts' Leading Robe Supplier for over 850 Years!)....etc.
Finally they reached a tall, snowy white building that towered well over the little shops. Standing outside the buildings bronze doors were two --
"Goblins, nasty little things, always starting up rebellions..." Snape whisperd in Harry's ear as he usherd past the funny looking creatures and through the doors, only to be faced with another set of doors, silver this time. On them was engraved:
~ Enter, stranger, but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors A treasure that was never yours, Thief, you have been warned, beware Of finding more than treasure there. ~
"That's creepy." Harry thought aloud.
"Yes, and eerily true."
Another pari of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and into a goblin infested marble hall. Harry and Snape made their way up to one of the goblins behind a counter.
"I'm here to make a withdrawl from the safe one Mr. Harry J. Potter. Here's the key." Professor Snape was obviously expereinced with speaking to goblins.
"That seems to be in order, anything else."
"Yeah, hold up a sec." Harry muttered, withdrawing the stack of bills from his pocket. "Could I get these exchanged." He said, shoving the pile of money onto the counter.
"Certainley. Exchange rate is quite well righ now. American Muggle to Wizard is running at nearly $5 to a galleon.(A/N... I have no idea if this is even close.) So this would total out to..." The goblin paused, counting off the bills. "40 galleons, 8 Sickles, and 4 Knuts."
The goblin handed Harry over a heavy stack of wizarding money, which Harry tied to his belt.
"Will that be all?" The goblin asked.
"Actually, I have a letter to deliver from Dumbledore. It concerns You- Know-What in vault 713." Snape handed an official looking letter over to the goblin, who examined it closely.
"Very well, Griphook! These two gentlemen need a ride." Griphook was yet another goblin that led them to a door leading out of the hall.
Harry had a strong desire to ask Snape what the You-Know-What in vault 713 was, but thought better of it and asked about wizard money.
"Gold coins are Galleons," Snape explained, "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine bronze Knuts to a Sickle. It's simple enough really."
They passed through another door and Harry was surprised when more marble didn't meet them. Instead there was a whole maze of twisting passages connected by thin railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling towards them. They climbed in and the cart hurtled off down countless passageways, sometimes taking seemingly random turns.
The cart finally came to a screeching halt next to a small door. Griphook unlocked the door and a lot of green smoke billowed out. Harry's jaw dropped. Inside were mounds upon mounds of gold, sliver, and bronze.
Snape gazed at it in a mixture of jealusy and loathing. Harry, on the other hand, all but dived into the mounds and stuffed as much of the precious coins into the sack provided as he could. Inside this vault was more money then he would make if he stayed with the construction team until he was 100 years old... and it was all his.
"That's enough Potter." Snape snapped in a surpisinly cold voice, considering how nice he had been to Harry so far that day. Harry shrugged and leaped back into the small cart and they were soon off once again.
When they reached vault 713 Harry, who had always been keen to detail, realized that there was no keyhole.
"Stand back," Griphook ordered. He then stroked the door with his long, knobbly index finger and the door (somewhat to Harry's surpise) seemed to melt away. Harry was sure that this vault had to be holding something extremely important. He was quite disapointed when it's only contents was a small grubby package wrapped in brown paper lying on the floor. Snape reached down, picked it up and stuffed it deep into his robes.
When he saw Harry's gaze he glared and commanded, "Repeat what you saw to a soul and your time at Hogwarts will be a living hell. That I promise you."
Grimly, Harry nodded.
****
After Gringotts Snape had told Harry where to make his purchases and had then dissapeard, leaving Harry to fend for himself. Harry had gone on to purchase his supplies with not much worth mentioning, that is, until he had made his way to Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
At Ollivanders Harry had waved wand after pointless wand with no reaction. That is until:
"...I wonder, now -- yes, why not..." the old, wide/pale eyed Mr. Ollivander had muttered, withdrawing a wand from a dusty shelf near the back of the shop, "--unusual combination -- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Harry took the wand doubtfully in his hand. He suddleny fet warmth spread through his body. He gave the wand a flick. The wand shot out a steam of blue and green sparks, flying through the air.
Snape, who had entered the shop without Harry's notice applauded and Mr. Ollivander cried out, "Bravo! Very good. Well, well, well.. how curious...how curious..."
After the relief of getting a wand hand passed, Harry's curiosity got the better of him. "What's so curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with a pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather --- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother --- why, its brother gave you that scar."
Harry swallowed. Snape glared at Harry, as if he might sprout a snake-like face and morph into the Dark Lord.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizarsd, remember...I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter...After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things --- terrible, yes, but great."
Snape fidgeted. Harry being quite uncomfortable with this news paid the seven Galleons for his wand and left the shop.
Once out on the street Snape shoved what appeared to be two pieces of trash into Harry's hands.
"These are portkeys. This one will take you back to your apartment in a couple of minutes. This one will transfer you to Kings Cross on September 1st at 10:30 AM, British time. To get to the train walk through the barrier seperating platforms 9 and 10. Good day, Mr. Potter." Snape said all this in one voice and disapperated away with a loud POP.
A/N Please READ and REVIEW... thank you. Also, I used a couple quotes and/or descriptions from chapter 5 of the Sorcerer's Stone in this chapter...don't sue.
Chapter Three: A Day on the Town
Summary: What if Harry left the Dursley's behind? What if he grew up far from Privet Drive? What if he wasn't a Gryffindor? What if he had different friends? What if he wasn't the golden boy that they wanted him to be? AU first year. NOT slash. R/R
A/N hi. Read. Enjoy. Review.
Disclaimer: If I had a million dollars I'd be rich. But not nearly as rich as J.K.R, who owns the Harry Potter universe (not me).
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Pause.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Pause.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Pause.
"Damn, I'm coming, I'm coming." Harry peered through the peep hole in his apartment door before unlocking several various locks and swinging it open.
"Are all you Brits so impatient, or just you?" Harry asked the greasy haired vistor in annoyance as he attempted to smooth the wrinkles out of his t-shirt.
"You do remeber that I will be your Professor this year, Mr. Potter?" The potions master stated, making it clear that he didn't expect an answer.
"Yeah, whatev. Let me grab some cash then we can be out." Harry mumbled offhandaly as he fished around in an unorganized drawer for a momemnt before pulling out a handful of $20 bills. He put them up to his lips and gave them a quick kiss muttering, "There she is." He stuffed the money in his pocket and turned expectantly to Snape, waiting for instructions.
"You do know you have vaults full of gold at Gringotts, don't you?... Grab this, its a portkey." He said withdrawing a tattered old dictionary from his pocket and extending towards Harry.
"Yeah, I figured that I'd live off that stuff..."
"5...4..."
"I'm gonna use that," he glanced at his pocket, "for spending money..."
"2...1..."
POP. Harry felt a tug behind his naval as the world sped around him. Several seconds latter he found himself collapsing onto the floor in what appeared to be an old pub. Once he had stood up, dusted himself off, and glared at Snape for not giving him fair warning; Harry took a look around at his surroundings.
It was, in fact, a tiny, grubby-looking pub that was quite overdue for a good ol' scrubbing. It was quite dark, shabby, and an intense smell of a mixture between alcohol and fried eggs drifted through the air. A few old women wore sitting in a corner having a smoke and sipping on glasses of sherry. A small, buff man whom reminded Harry strangely of a Dwarf was iddily chatting with the bartender, who was quite bald and toothless. Harry saw a women eating a strange substance which reminded Harry of a picture he had seen of a hag.
As soon as Harry and the professor had 'popped' in the low buzz and chatter suitable for such a place stopped.
"Ah, Snape. The usual?" The old bartender questioned, already reaching for a bottle of firewisky.
"No thank you," Snape shriveld up his nose at the old bartneder, "I'm just taking young Mr. Potter to get his supplies."
"Potter. Blimey, is that...no it can't be..." Tom the bartender was at loss for words.
"Why yes...there's the scar!" The bartender, along with the rest of the pub's inhabitants had frozen in shock. A small man in a top hat broke the silence.
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, such an honor. Im Diggle, Dedaulus Diggle." This led to a mad rush as the rest of the witches and wizards made a mad dash to shake the boy's hand.
"An honor to meet you Mr. Potter."
"Can't believe I'm finally meeting you Mr. Potter..."
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter..."
"Welcome back, welcome back..."
The commotion was beginging to die down when Snape called out, in his cold voice. "Quirrell! Is that you? What are you doing?"
A small, pale young man with a purple turban around his head stopped in mid- step on his way to the door. Harry felt a sharp pain pass through his scar as the man turned around. Harry felt an instant dislike and discomfort around the man, and subconsciously his hand flicked towards one of his many hidden knives.
"J-just p-p-passing through Professor S-Snape."
"I see. Mr. Potter, Professor Quirrell is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." He paused and glared at the small man, who turned even paler. "Don't you wish to say hello to your future pupil, Professor?"
"Of course. P-pleasure to meet you P-Potter." Harry grimily nodded to indicate he heard him. He definatley didn't like this man.
It wasn't for another five minutes before Snape and Harry had fought thier way out the backdoor into a small, walled courtyard containg nothing but a trash cans and a few weeds. Harry glanced up at his professor questionaly.
Snape, however, was paying Harry little attention and was counting bricks on the wall above the trash can. "Three up...two across...Right." He tapped a brick in the wall three times with the tip of his wand.
The brick he had touched quickly began to shake. After a second a hole appeared in the brick and quickly began to expand until Harry was standing in front of a large archway which revealed cibbeled street, twisting and turning out of sight.
"Diagon Alley, Harry."
Harry gaped in amazement and looked around, his usual nonchalent demeanor being replaced with awe. A stack of cauldrens teaterd outside a near shop window. Caulrons - All Sizes - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.
"First requirment for potion making, we'll get you one after Gringotts." Snape muttered and pushed Harry along. Harry continued to look around in amazement at the shops, the people, the whole atmosphere.
He glanced around at shop signs: Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy; Quaility Quidditch Supplies (Nimbus Two Thousand In Stock!); Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions (Hogwarts' Leading Robe Supplier for over 850 Years!)....etc.
Finally they reached a tall, snowy white building that towered well over the little shops. Standing outside the buildings bronze doors were two --
"Goblins, nasty little things, always starting up rebellions..." Snape whisperd in Harry's ear as he usherd past the funny looking creatures and through the doors, only to be faced with another set of doors, silver this time. On them was engraved:
~ Enter, stranger, but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors A treasure that was never yours, Thief, you have been warned, beware Of finding more than treasure there. ~
"That's creepy." Harry thought aloud.
"Yes, and eerily true."
Another pari of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and into a goblin infested marble hall. Harry and Snape made their way up to one of the goblins behind a counter.
"I'm here to make a withdrawl from the safe one Mr. Harry J. Potter. Here's the key." Professor Snape was obviously expereinced with speaking to goblins.
"That seems to be in order, anything else."
"Yeah, hold up a sec." Harry muttered, withdrawing the stack of bills from his pocket. "Could I get these exchanged." He said, shoving the pile of money onto the counter.
"Certainley. Exchange rate is quite well righ now. American Muggle to Wizard is running at nearly $5 to a galleon.(A/N... I have no idea if this is even close.) So this would total out to..." The goblin paused, counting off the bills. "40 galleons, 8 Sickles, and 4 Knuts."
The goblin handed Harry over a heavy stack of wizarding money, which Harry tied to his belt.
"Will that be all?" The goblin asked.
"Actually, I have a letter to deliver from Dumbledore. It concerns You- Know-What in vault 713." Snape handed an official looking letter over to the goblin, who examined it closely.
"Very well, Griphook! These two gentlemen need a ride." Griphook was yet another goblin that led them to a door leading out of the hall.
Harry had a strong desire to ask Snape what the You-Know-What in vault 713 was, but thought better of it and asked about wizard money.
"Gold coins are Galleons," Snape explained, "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine bronze Knuts to a Sickle. It's simple enough really."
They passed through another door and Harry was surprised when more marble didn't meet them. Instead there was a whole maze of twisting passages connected by thin railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling towards them. They climbed in and the cart hurtled off down countless passageways, sometimes taking seemingly random turns.
The cart finally came to a screeching halt next to a small door. Griphook unlocked the door and a lot of green smoke billowed out. Harry's jaw dropped. Inside were mounds upon mounds of gold, sliver, and bronze.
Snape gazed at it in a mixture of jealusy and loathing. Harry, on the other hand, all but dived into the mounds and stuffed as much of the precious coins into the sack provided as he could. Inside this vault was more money then he would make if he stayed with the construction team until he was 100 years old... and it was all his.
"That's enough Potter." Snape snapped in a surpisinly cold voice, considering how nice he had been to Harry so far that day. Harry shrugged and leaped back into the small cart and they were soon off once again.
When they reached vault 713 Harry, who had always been keen to detail, realized that there was no keyhole.
"Stand back," Griphook ordered. He then stroked the door with his long, knobbly index finger and the door (somewhat to Harry's surpise) seemed to melt away. Harry was sure that this vault had to be holding something extremely important. He was quite disapointed when it's only contents was a small grubby package wrapped in brown paper lying on the floor. Snape reached down, picked it up and stuffed it deep into his robes.
When he saw Harry's gaze he glared and commanded, "Repeat what you saw to a soul and your time at Hogwarts will be a living hell. That I promise you."
Grimly, Harry nodded.
****
After Gringotts Snape had told Harry where to make his purchases and had then dissapeard, leaving Harry to fend for himself. Harry had gone on to purchase his supplies with not much worth mentioning, that is, until he had made his way to Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
At Ollivanders Harry had waved wand after pointless wand with no reaction. That is until:
"...I wonder, now -- yes, why not..." the old, wide/pale eyed Mr. Ollivander had muttered, withdrawing a wand from a dusty shelf near the back of the shop, "--unusual combination -- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Harry took the wand doubtfully in his hand. He suddleny fet warmth spread through his body. He gave the wand a flick. The wand shot out a steam of blue and green sparks, flying through the air.
Snape, who had entered the shop without Harry's notice applauded and Mr. Ollivander cried out, "Bravo! Very good. Well, well, well.. how curious...how curious..."
After the relief of getting a wand hand passed, Harry's curiosity got the better of him. "What's so curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with a pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather --- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother --- why, its brother gave you that scar."
Harry swallowed. Snape glared at Harry, as if he might sprout a snake-like face and morph into the Dark Lord.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizarsd, remember...I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter...After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things --- terrible, yes, but great."
Snape fidgeted. Harry being quite uncomfortable with this news paid the seven Galleons for his wand and left the shop.
Once out on the street Snape shoved what appeared to be two pieces of trash into Harry's hands.
"These are portkeys. This one will take you back to your apartment in a couple of minutes. This one will transfer you to Kings Cross on September 1st at 10:30 AM, British time. To get to the train walk through the barrier seperating platforms 9 and 10. Good day, Mr. Potter." Snape said all this in one voice and disapperated away with a loud POP.
A/N Please READ and REVIEW... thank you. Also, I used a couple quotes and/or descriptions from chapter 5 of the Sorcerer's Stone in this chapter...don't sue.