AN - I don't own Harry Potter or any associated properties! All characters and fictional events belong to J.K Rowling!
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It didn't take Harry as long as it usually did for him to ride his bike home. He usually spent the 9 kilometer ride taking his time and enjoying the fresh air in the cool twilight, trying to delay his return home as much as he could. This time, he could not waste his time on the sights of Little Whinging when he had such an important decision to make. In record time, he came into view of number 4, Privet Drive. He pedaled up the driveway, stashed his bike next to the garage, and bolted inside. Because he worked so late tonight, he didn't have to cook supper for his family. He was hoping to just slip inside and quietly move up the stairs to his room before anyone saw him. It appeared as if he could not be so lucky tonight as he heard his uncle calling him to the kitchen. Harry sighed and slowly made his way down the small hall to the kitchen.
"Ah, look who decided to get his sorry ass back home early tonight!" His Uncle Vernon spat at him. "Why are you back so early tonight, boy?"
Harry took a deep breath before responding. "I'm not sure, Uncle Vernon. The traffic lights seemed to cooperate with me tonight."
"Is that lip, boy?" Vernon growled. "Do you want to be punished? I haven't had to use my belt on you in a while…"
"No sir." Harry said quietly. "I'm just tired from work. I was hoping to just spend the night in my room."
Harry's Aunt Petunia stepped into the kitchen during the exchange. She sniffed and turned her nose up at Harry as she took in his appearance, which was quite ruffled after the quick ride home. Petunia and Veron were quite the opposites in terms of appearance. Petunia was a thin and frail woman with a very pointed face and cold eyes. Vernon was a rather large and heavy man with a moustache. He and Petunia were quite dissimilar in appearance, but they were most alike in their behaviors. Both Dursleys were quite obsessed with being "perfectly normal." They wanted to reside in their clean home with their lone son and go through the motions of life. This had all been thrown out the window when Harry had been left on their doorstep as an infant after his parents had died. They had immediately taken a disliking to the boy because of his interference in their lives. This sentiment continued for the remainder of Harry's youth and into his young adulthood. They could only tolerate his presence as long as he was doing some kind of work for them, including cooking, cleaning, landscaping, and other difficult tasks.
"Oh let him go, Vernon." Petunia sneered. "There's nothing he can do for us right now."
"Fine," Vernon huffed. "He's going to have something extra to do tomorrow though."
Vernon ended his statement with a wicked smirk that filled Harry with worry for what his tasks may be on his day off. Without a word in response, Harry turned out of the kitchen and began up the stairs to his room. It had been years since Vernon had "used his belt" on Harry, but his back began to sting as he subconsciously remembered what invoking his uncle's wrath would mean. He shook the thoughts from his head and quietly closed his door behind himself as he entered his bedroom.
Harry turned on the light and threw his work vest on his bed. He pulled the folded envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the desk in the corner of the room. He turned and looked around his room. The walls were bare, devoid of any decoration. His bed was made up of a lumpy mattress, threadbare sheets, and a comforter that was constantly dusty. He had a wardrobe, but one of the doors was broken and constantly drifting open. Harry knew there were better accommodations that he could have, but his Aunt's harshness rang through his head. All of this? This is what you deserve. You little freak. This is what you get when no one wants you.
In addition to an extremely lacklust room, Harry's quality of clothing was also subpar. He had only ever been given hand-me-downs from his cousin when Dudley's weight exceeded what the clothing could handle. Thus, Harry was often wearing very baggy clothing looking even skinnier than he already was.
Harry sighed before sitting behind his desk and unfolded the letter. True to what the message had said, a sort of list was included in the envelope. Harry's eyes widened as he perused the contents.
UNIFORM
First year students will require:
1 - Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2 - One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3 - One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4 - One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
By: Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
By: Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
By: Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
By: Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
By: Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
By: Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
By: Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
By: Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 Wand
1 Cauldron (Pewter, standard size 2)
1 Set Glass or Crystal Phials
1 Telescope
1 Set Brass Scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours Sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
"I'd get a wand too?" Harry whispered to no one in particular. It was the stuff of fairy tales and legends. Magic wands, potions, fantastic beasts… Harry was still trying to wrap his head around it all. Just a few hours earlier, he had no idea such things actually existed. Now he had the chance to enter a new world, one where it seemed anything was possible. But the thought struck Harry again: Could I leave my family?
It was true that the Dursleys were rather unpleasant to him, but they were the only family he had. They had put a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and a bed to sleep in. Could it really be that bad?
As if the universe was giving an answer to his silent question, he heard heavy footsteps approaching his room. The door was thrown open, revealing a rather red faced Vernon. Harry looked into his uncle's face for a moment before quickly taking a glance at his large and meaty hands. Vernon held no object, but his fingers had curled into fists. Harry slowly rose from his seat and subconsciously took a step back. Vernon practically growled as he stepped into the room.
"Boy, didn't I ask you to pull the weeds in your aunt's flower beds?"
"Y-you did, sir." Harry responded slowly.
"Then why haven't you done it yet?" Vernon asked dangerously.
"I-I did." Harry said quietly.
"What did you say, boy?"
"I said I did." Harry said a bit louder…and more confidently.
"I don't believe you did." Vernon took a step closer to Harry. "And now you're giving me lip,,,you need to pay for your insolence."
"Oh do I?"
"Yes you do!" Vernon raised his voice even louder. "How dare you talk back to me? After everything I've given you! You're lucky we didn't kill you when we found you on our doorstep, freak!"
"Everything you've given me? You've treated me like garbage my whole life!" Harry shouted back, calling out every thing the Dursleys had done in order to make him feel subhuman. "You've beaten me, starved me, overworked me, and locked me in the cupboard under the stairs! Why should I feel lucky for that you lard?"
Harry didn't know what he was expecting from trying to stand up to his uncle. He had hoped it would cause him to see how poorly they treated him. He knew it was too much to ask for as Vernon shoved him back, causing him to trip and hit his head on the wall as he fell. Harry's vision went black for a moment before he looked up at his uncle with stars in his eyes.
"Let me make one thing clear…" Vernon said through clenched teeth. "If you ever speak to me like that again, I'll bust your mouth so bad that you'll never be able to run your mouth ever again."
Vernon moved out into the hallway with his hand on the doorknob.
"If I hear you leave this room tonight, I'll make sure you'll regret it." He slammed the door as he finished speaking, leaving Harry alone to take in what he just said.
Harry blinked a couple times and slowly stood up. He felt a bit woozy, but nothing had ever been more clear: he had to get out of here. The raven-haired young man sat back at his desk and pulled some paper and a pen out of the drawer. He hastily scribbled out a quick note, formally accepting his invitation to Hogwarts. He set his pen down, marched over to his window, and threw it open. He looked out into the dark night, trying to remember what Dumbledore had said about owls. A voice in the back of his mind called to him: Just call for it. He figured it was worth a shot.
"Owl?" He said uncertainly into the night. "I need to have my acceptance letter delivered. I was told there would be one here for me…"
Before he could try any other methods of summoning an owl, he saw two large eyes open from a tree across the street. In the glow of the streetlights that lined Privet Drive, Harry watched as a mass of Tawny brown feathers raced towards him. In about two heartbeats, an owl was perched on Harry's windowsill. He was slightly startled at the speed the owl had used to reach him, causing him to step back and stumble slightly as the rather large bird landed in front of him.
Harry looked cautiously at the owl, almost afraid he might scare it off. He got up slowly and watched as the owl turned its head, using its large, black eyes to seemingly evaluate him. Harry adjusted his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose, and took a small step forward. The owl did not move, but still kept its curious eyes on the young man in front of it. Seeing that his winged visitor was not going to fly off, Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding and took two more steps forward.
"Hello. I need you to deliver this for me." Harry held up his response letter with a shaking hand.
The owl hooted softly and stuck its leg out, signalling Harry to tie the note to its leg. Harry moved over to his desk, searching his drawers before coming across a small spool of black thread. Harry held the spool almost reverently. He had used this to resew his own clothes after they had been torn while being put to work by his aunt and uncle. No more, he thought to himself and closed his fist around it. He tied the letter securely around the owl's leg and wondered how to tell it where to go. He didn't exactly know the ins and outs of using an owl to deliver mail. Ah to hell with it.
"This is my acceptance of my invitation to Hogwarts." He said in a semi-commanding voice. "Take this to…whoever it needs to be delivered to. Please."
The owl hooted in response before turning and taking flight. Harry tried to watch the tawny avian as far into the night as he could. When he could no longer see the bird, he sighed and closed the window.
"I hope I did that right…" He said as he turned out the light, removed his trainers, and climbed into bed.
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Several weeks had passed and Harry had not yet received any acknowledgement of his acceptance of his invitation. Harry had quietly wondered if the whole thing had been a dream, but the letter he received from Dumbledore had constantly reminded him otherwise. Harry kept the letter, folded safely in the pocket of his jeans. Whenever Harry was feeling doubt about the legitimacy of his experience, he would reach into his pocket with one finger and make sure the letter was still there. It resided in the same spot every time. Despite the quite tangible proof of his experience, Harry could not help but grow worried. He had no idea how he was going to purchase any of the items he needed from his list. Even if he had any idea where they were available, he had very little money to speak of. He had never purchased his own belongings before, but he knew it wasn't cheap.
Harry sat idly on his bed, letting himself get lost in his worry. He hoped things were going to work out in his favor, but the term was supposed to start in just two days. Perhaps he hadn't been clear enough when sending the owl away with his response? Did the owl lose the letter? Had he not tied it properly?
Harry was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn't hear a thunderous knock at the front door. He furrowed his brow and cocked his head in confusion. Who could be banging on the door like that? Vernon's going to be irate at someone for making such a ruckus in the middle of the day…
It wasn't too long after that he heard shouting. Vernon was yelling at the top of his lungs, but Harry couldn't make out what he was saying. He lept off his bed, opened the door and bolted the hall. He raced down the stairs, two at a time, and was met with a frightening sight. Standing in the foyer of #4 Privet Drive was the largest man Harry had ever seen. He was easily two and a half meters tall, weaning a sort of thick brown coat, and had shaggy black hair cascading around his head and shoulders. His size completely dwarfed Harry's, even Vernon's for that matter. It didn't appear as though the intruder was overweight, but he was a massively burly man, looking as though he could lift a small car above his head. As Harry took in the unknown man's visible features, he seemed to remember that his uncle was screaming.
"REMOVE YOURSELF FROM MY PROPERTY!" Vernon shouted. "WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU OR YOUR KIND."
"Well I ain' here for you!" The man said back, refusing to match Vernon's intensity. "I tol' you I'm here for I'm here for Harry!"
"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM! HE'S WORTH TOO MUCH TO US FOR YOU'RE KIND TO JUST TAKE HIM AWAY!"
Harry was shocked for a moment. Was his uncle defending him? Did he actually care? Harry shook his head and lightly chuckled to himself. After what he had been told last night, he knew Vernon was only referring to Harry's value as a servant to the Dursleys. He looked back up at the back of the man's head and lightly gasped in realization. Vernon kept saying "your kind." Could this man be from Hogwarts? Was he a wizard too? Taking a steeling breath, Harry stepped forward and tugged on the back of the man's coat.
"Excuse me? Did you say you were looking for me?" Harry asked, his hand still holding onto the rough, leathery covering.
The massive visitor brought his head up and took a sharp breath in. He turned around as quickly as he could in the cramped hallway, knocking over the coat rack in the process. He turned his gaze down to Harry, eyes growing wide as he took in Harry's appearance.
" 'Arry! You've grown so much since I seen ya las'!" The man smiled brightly at Harry. "O' course you were jus' a baby back then."
"You knew me as a baby?" Harry asked, looking back up into the man's eyes.
"As o'matter o'fact I did! I suppose tha' means you don' remember me!" he let out a large, joyous laugh. "Rubeus Hagrid, at your service. You can jus' call me Hagrid, though."
Hagrid gave another laugh and extended his large hand to Harry. Harry stood shocked for a moment before shaking the larger man's hand. He knew me as a baby? Harry looked back into Hagrid's eyes and wondered what he knew. Did he know his parents too? He was definitely here about something related to Hogwarts, that much Harry knew. What Harry wanted to know was: Could Hagrid be another family friend to the Potters? As the two men released each others' hands, Harry took a deep breath.
"Hagrid?" He began uncertainly. "Did you know my parents?"
"Your parents?" Hagrid blinked. "O' course I did! The Potters were so kind to me! Kind to everyone! You would never did meet such selfless folk!"
"They were selfless? Kind?" Harry asked quietly. A small smile splayed on his lips as he took this information in. I knew it! I knew they weren't the lazy drunks Petunia told me they were!
"Yes they were! You didn' know tha'?" Hagrid looked confused for a moment, trying to work out why Harry was so confused.
"I didn't know that, Hagrid. My Aunt Petunia told me they were drunks…"
"DRUNKS! JAMES AND LILY POTTER WERE NO DRUNKS!" Hagrid was instantly enraged. He had never heard anyone describe the Potters in such a distasteful way. Hagrid spun around and glared at Vernon, who had not left Hagrid and Harry during their exchange. "YOU TOL' 'IM THA' HIS PARENTS WERE DRUNKS? THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES TO SAVE 'IM AN' YOU CALL THEM DRUNKS?"
"T-They were freaks! Just like him! We didn't want him to become like them!" Vernon tried to retaliate. His efforts were in vain, however. Hagrid's rage and size scared Vernon like he had never been scared in his life. Hagrid could easily crush Vernon like a toothpick, and Vernon knew as such. He wouldn't want to evoke his wrath any further.
"IF I EVER HEAR YOU OR YOUR FAMILY SAY ANYTHING LIKE THA' ABOU' LILY AND JAMES EVER AGAIN, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET IT" Hagrid shouted, taking a menacing step towards Vernon, who was visibly sweating in the giant man's presence.
Seeing Vernon so terrified satisfied Hagrid. He knew he was larger and stronger than most, but he never liked to use his size to intimidate others. He felt he could make an exception for those who slandered his friends, however. Hagrid glared one last time at Vernon before turning back to Harry, who had been watching the exchange in awe. No one had ever confronted his relatives like that. Harry had seen his fair share of neglectful peers and teachers as he was growing up, so he never expected anyone to stand up for his family before.
"Well 'arry, seeing as though I don' wan' to stay here any longer than we have to, I figure it's time I tol' ya wha' I'm here for." He said, beginning to relax himself.
"What's that, Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"I'm here to take ya shoppin' for school!" Hagrid smiled down at Harry.
"Wait. Seriously?" Harry began to feel an overarching sense of joy and relief wash over him. His weeks of worrying had ended up being in vain, but he didn't care. He was finally going to be able to leave this wretched place once and for all.
"We need to leave righ' away, though. You only have a couple o' days before school starts, so 'urry up an' go get your stuff!" Hagrid said brightly.
Harry smiled at Hagrid and rushed up the stairs. Harry quickly stuffed what few clothes, books, and other belongings that he had into his old backpack. After he had gathered everything he wanted to bring with him, he stopped at the door and looked one last time around his room. He nodded before racing back downstairs and meeting Hagrid by the front door.
"I'm ready to go!" Harry said as he shouldered his bag.
"Alrigh' then! Let's head out!" Hagrid said as he let Harry open the door. They both stepped out of the house and walked across the grass towards the street. Harry smiled as the sun hit his face as he exited the house. The weather seemed to be considerably more adequate than a typical hot summer day in Surrey, but Harry figured it had something to do with the change he was about to experience in his life. Harry closed his eyes and angled his face towards the sky, basking in the warmth of the sun, and the coolness of the breeze that washed over him. Things are about to change, Harry thought optimistically as he opened his eyes.
As Harry angled his face back down to normal, he stopped in his tracks. What sat before him was a turquoise colored motorcycle, complete with an adjoining sidecar of the same color. Harry felt a rush of adrenaline as he began to surmise who's vehicle this was.
"Hagrid? Is this what we're leaving on?" He asked, almost hesitantly.
"Why yes it is, 'arry!" Hagrid responded as he took his spot in the driver's position of the motorcycle. "Don' worry! It's completely safe!"
Harry nodded and sat himself in the sidecar with his bag. He moved around a little restlessly on the brown leather seat before he was finally in a comfortable position. He looked up at Hagrid once he was comfortable and gave a nod.
"Hol' on tigh'!" Hagrid exclaimed as he started the engine. The revving of the motorcycle caused excitement to course through Harry's veins. It was finally time to start his own adventure and live his own life. He smiled with a determined look in his eye, laughing at the thrill he felt, as he and Hagrid sped off down the street. With one last glance back at #4 Privet Drive, Harry could see Vernon running out into the street, shouting at them as they drove away. Once they were a bit further down the street, Harry turned back around to face forward. He would never have to reenter that house again, nor would he ever have to be subjected to his relatives' cruelty as he raced towards his future.
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AN - Thanks for reading chapter 2 of Hogwarts University! I hope you're enjoying it so far! I hope to post a new chapter every few days, so be on the lookout for that! Just like the previous chapter, I have a song I felt matched the vibe of this chapter. This chapter's song is Walk On by U2. To me, Walk On is about leaving behind some rather unpleasant things in your life. These things could be break-ups, unpleasant jobs or relatives, or just unpleasant experiences in general. It's about moving on and becoming bigger than the hurt in your life, which is what I feel Harry has started doing in this chapter. (Yes only starting. It can take a while to stop feeling the effects of such unpleasant experiences). I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to seeing you in the next one!
