Chapter 1 Magic is Real
4 Privet Drive June 24, 1991
It was a normal morning at 4 Privet Drive, but that would change soon with the arrival of a letter for a young boy sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs. The name of the boy whose life would change today is Harry Potter. He is a bit short and skinny for his age, has black unruly hair, green eyes that seem to glow in the dark cupboard, and on his nose are sitting old ratty glasses. He wakes up because he can hear his fat whale-like cousin coming down the stairs he starts his day by putting on his glasses and opening the door of his cupboard but before he can even get out of it the door is pushed back and he tumbles back on his mattress. Harry hates his relatives, his Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley were so fat that they could hardly be called human they were more like pigs with how they eat but Harry thinks this might even is an insult to pigs considering how fat these two are.
He then hears his aunt Petunia shout in her shrill voice "Come to the kitchen boy, keep an eye on the bacon, and don't you dare to let it burn."
Harry now remembers today is Dudley's birthday. It will surely become a horrible day his cousin is insufferable even on a normal day on his birthday it will surely be even worse. He swiftly gets up and walks to the kitchen, he has no interest in getting beaten with the pan over the head again. Harry gets in the kitchen and takes the pan from his aunt while she gives him a look that tells him he better not mess this up. He sees his cousin Dudley and uncle Vernon at the table how they shovel the food in their mouth. It is disgusting to look at the way they were eating looks more like a starving animal than human beings. Harry can't help but hate them when he sees them eating like this considering that he often just gets enough food to not be starving but not enough to be full. Besides them standing is his aunt Petunia who with her long giraffe-like neck and pale eyes is glaring at Harry.
"What is taking this long boy the bacon should be finished by now don't you dare to ruin Dudley's birthday," she says in a tone that promises punishment should Harry make a mistake.
Harry rushes to the table with the pan in hand and puts the bacon on the plates of his relatives to avoid his undeserved punishment that would follow should he take any longer. He hates his relatives if something goes wrong he always gets blamed like the one time Dudley and his friends were playing Harry Hunting and chasing after him they nearly got him when suddenly appeared on the roof of his school. But he long learned to hide his emotion from his relatives should they see that he is angry or sad they will just be even meaner to him. Since Harry learned to hide his emotions and keep his mind and face blank he got better at recalling information. Not that Harry could make much use of it since should he get better marks in school than Dudley he surely would have to do more work around the house. Harry sits down and eats the food on his plate. Then the phone rang and Petunia did go to answer it after a minute of talking on the phone Petunia came back in the living room looking relieved.
"Good news, Vernon," she said, "Mrs Figg will look after him." She looks in Harry's direction. Harry did not mind Mrs Figg she is nice to him even if her house smells like cabbage and cat. She forces him to look at the pictures of her cats too but at least she lets him eat how much he wants and he read as much as he likes even if most of the books she owned were about cats, better than here where you won't find a single book no matter how hard you would look. Harry found out he likes reading books one day that Dudley and his friends were playing Harry Hunting and he ran into the library to hide from them since they fear the stern librarian since this day Harry spends most of his free time in the library reading fiction books mostly about magic. Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley were driving away to the Zoo while Harry was walking across the street to Mrs Figgs's house. Harry rings the bell and not even a few seconds later Mrs Figg opens the door and smiles at him. "Good Morning, Harry." she said, "Come in."
"Good Morning Mrs Figg, thank you for looking after me" Harry greets her politely. And walks into her home. Not even three steps inside and he can already see 4 cats, all of them have a plumed tail that reminds Harry of a lion's tail. The other thing that stands out on her cats are the ears they are larger than what he has seen on any other cat. Two of the cats are grey with black flecked fur, the other two are orange with a few white spots through their fur. "Harry be a dear could you help me in the garden picking up the apples?" Mrs Frigg asked Harry in a hopeful tone.
"Sure, Mrs Frigg." Harry said in a polite but slightly annoyed voice. He hoped to now have to do any work at Mrs Figg place but at least he only needs to pick up a few apples that fell to the ground. And today is not a bad day. The weather is pleasant and warm with a small breeze now and then. If he is lucky Mrs Figg will bake an apple pie. When he goes out of the back he sees the garden. It always looks and smells fantastic this time of the year with the apple trees holding ripe red apples, flowers in full bloom, and the sweet scene that they emit. Harry takes a basket that lies on the ground and makes his way to the apple trees to pick up the ripe apple that fell to the ground. While he was picking up the apples.
Harry hears something talking and looks around but can't find anything. Maybe he finally loses his mind like his relatives always told him. Just as he was to go back to putting the apples in the basket he hears a loud hissing "Stupid human look where you put your hands."
Harry's eyes go wide as he looks down at the right hand and sees a snake there coiled up. The snake has a black hide with a few stripes of brown but the most particular is the horn and small jewel it has on its head. The jewel was blue and seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. Harry tentatively speaks to the snake "Sorry I didn't see you there."
The snake's head shoots up in the air when he hears Harry apologize to him. "You speak Human. I never thought I would meet a Speaker."
"What is a Speaker?" Harry asked.
"A Speaker is a wizard that can communicate with us snakes like you are. They are quite rare from what I heard." the serpent answers. Harry could not believe it he was speaking with a snake. At first, he thought the snake was speaking English but now it tells him he is speaking snake and that this ability is rare to have.
"What do you mean a wizard? Is magic real?" he asked hopefully. Harry always dreamed of being capable of using magic. Then he could finally defend himself against his horrible relatives. And learn all kinds of magical things like enchanting and alchemy.
"Of Course magic is real." said the serpent while cocking its head to the side. Harry heard a shrill scream from behind him, standing there is Mrs Figg.
"Harry get away from the snake come here" shouts Mrs Figg with a near-fanatical voice.
"Why Mrs Figg me and the snake are only talking with each other." Harry said. The moment he spoke the words he realized his error he just said he could understand snakes. Mrs Figg will think him crazy and he will be put in an asylum by his relatives. The astonishment of speaking with a snake and that magic is real let him forget to think before he speaks. As Harry looks at her she has wide eyes and gone pale and seems to be shaking. She runs into the house before Harry could say anything and then not more than a few seconds later she comes out of her house with an old man that is wearing what looks like robes that are purple and they twinkle like stars in the night sky. He has a long white beard, wears half-moon spectacles, has blue eyes, and a crooked nose. The old man reminds Harry of the old wise wizard's type he read about in fantasy books.
"Good afternoon Harry. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I´m the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." said Dumbledore with a kind look and a small smile on his face in a gentle voice. Harry normally is guarded against new people he meets but for some reason, he feels safe in the presence of Headmaster Dumbledore.
Harry looks the headmaster in the eyes and with an excited tone greets the headmaster "Good afternoon Headmaster Dumbledore. Are you truly the headmaster of a school for magic? Can you show me magic?"
"Of course Hogwarts is the best school for magic in the world. And it is the school where you will be going when you turn 11." he told Harry. Then he draws what appears to be a long piece of wood until he flicks it and now in front of Harry stand three wood chair and a table. Harry could not believe it magic right before his eyes and the long piece of wood must be a wand then. He wants to ask so many questions. But then he remembers how is he suppose to pay for the school his relatives certainly won't pay for him. The old wizard gestured for Harry to take a seat. As Harry sat down on the chair the snake that was quiet until now decide to slither up until she rested on Harry's shoulder.
"I would love to go to Hogwarts but I don't have any money." said Harry in a nervous tone.
Dumbledore answers "That won't be a problem your parents left you quite a bit of money. You have a trust vault you can access at Gringotts that will refill every year on your birthday. Gringotts is the primary wizarding bank in Britain and is led by the goblins. Since you a Parselmouth from what Mrs Figg told me I would like to take you to Gringotts not only to get your money to shop for your school supplies this year. But take an inheritance test to find out from where you got your ability to speak the language of the snakes."
Harry could not believe it not only can he go to Hogwarts and won't have to care about money. The wizards that sit before him knew his parents and maybe he could tell him about them. This is the best day in his memory he ever had.
"Could you tell me about my parents Professor Dumbledore?" asked Harry with hope.
"Of course your mother was Lily and your father James Potter both were excellent students at Hogwarts. Your mothers best subject was charms. While your father favoured transfiguration. Both of them were Headboy and Headgirl a high honour at Hogwarts only the best students get. Your parents were killed by dark wizards when they were protecting you. That dark wizard was a follower of Lord Voldemort who most people in the wizarding world only call You-Know-Who. He and his followers believed that only this of pureblood are worthy of magic. Your parents and many others found the notion that only this pure wizarding family should be worthy of magic wrong and stood against Lord Voldemort. Because they stood against Lord Voldemort some of his followers wanted to find him when he vanished and attacked your parents hoping to find him. But I believe that should be enough for today. We must be on our way to Diagon Alley to buy your school supplies." Dumbledore said with a wistful voice. Harry felt sad knowing that his parents died protecting him but he always knew that they were dead even if he hoped that they would one day come and free him from the Dursleys. But he could make them proud by doing his best in life and become Headboy like his father. Doing his best in school especially in charms and transfiguration.
"Harry would you please take my arm I will bring us to Diagon Alley. We will apparate which is similar to teleportation I heard muggles speaking about." Harry takes Professor Dumbeldore arm the moment it happens he feels himself get twisted and pressed what feels like a tube. The next second he stands in a busy alley on the ground trying not to vomit. The Diagon Alley is truly a magical place from what Harry could see. A shop that sells cauldrons and an Apothecary not too far from it that sells all manner of ingredients Harry never heard of before. Eeylops Owl Emporium sells Owls in all manner of colours and many other fantastical shops that sell clothing, potions and broomsticks.
"You did better than expected most people who apparate the first time throw up." said Dumbledore with a bit of amusement. He waits a short while for Harry and then with long strides walks to a big white building. Over the silver doors are words 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."
"Harry be respectful to the goblins they are a proud race and easily offended." Dumbledore remarked. Harry just nodded fascinated with what he was looking at the inside of the bank was gigantic. A small person who he believes to be goblin counting coins and examine gems. Some goblins were noting down what he believes to be numbers in ledgers. There were countless doors and hundreds of goblin and the occasional wizard milling around. Dumbledore and Harry made their way to a free goblin "Afternoon" said Dumbledore to the goblin "We are here to take some money out of Mr Potter trust vault and for an inheritance test"
"Do you have Mr Potters key, sir? For the inheritance test, you will have to wait a short while but if you go to his trust vault first it should be ready when you come back."
"Got the key right here and we will then go to his trust vault first." said Dumbledore as he took out the key from his robes before handing it to the goblin. He then starts shouting in another language and shortly after that another goblin was standing before them.
"Griphook here will take you to the trust vault please follow him." Harry and Dumbledore were right behind Griphook as he opens a door and holds it open for them. Harry expect the white Marbel to continue instead there were stone tunnels with torches hanging at the wall and rails that lead in the depth. A small cart was waiting for them. In which he and Dumbledore climbed and then they were off. Harry closed his eyes because the cart was going so fast that the air started to sting in the eyes. When he opens his eyes again they did come to a stop. Before him now was a circular door made of metal. Griphook unlocks the door. Dust comes out of the now open vault when it finally dispersed Harry could see mountains of gold, silver and copper. Harry could not believe it all this gold was his it must surely be a fortune. Dumbledore helps Harry pile some coins of all type into a bag. "The gold ones are Galleons." he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickels to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickel. What we have now should be enough for at least two terms maybe even three unless you have a sweet tooth as bad as mine." Dumbledore said chuckling. A short ride upstairs. Griphook guides them to their new destination where Harry will take the inheritance test. In the middle of the room stands a stone bowl with markings and beside it a goblin with a piece of parchment, a quill and a knife waiting for them.
"Mr Potter your hand." demands the goblin.
Harry holds his hand out to the goblin before he can even register what happens his hand was slashed with the knife and the blood drips into the stone bowl. The cuts on his hand closed when a small pool of blood was in the bowl. The quill then gets dipped into the blood and absorbs it all and starts writing on the parchment on his own. When the quill has finished the parchment writing a family tree was visible on it on his father's side there were multiply names written but on his mother side, the only names written beside her own are Isolt Steward (née Sayre) and Rionache Steward, William Sayre and Rionach Sayre (née Gaunt). Harry has no idea who these people are only that he is related to them. The only reason he can think that on his mother side only stand four names is that only the names of family members with magic get written down.
"Most particular Isolt Steward was one of the founders of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in North America. And her mother is Rionach who is a Gaunt by birth and the Gaunt are Descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Salazar is one of the four founders of Hogwarts and a know Parselmouth that should be the reason you can speak Parseltongue. Your mother was known as muggle-born but it seems like she had magical ancestors which would mean she was not a muggle-born since she had magical ancestors that would make her a half-blood if one believes in the purity of blood. Which if you ask me is utter rubbish a wizards or witches magical skill is not determined by how far back your family is magical but by ones own decisions and hard work. Even if rare magical attributes are more likely to be found in families that have shown this ability before like the Slytherin family with being Parselmouths." explains Dumbledore while looking over Harry's shoulders to read the parchment. Harry could not believe it he is related to not only one famous person but two and both were founders of their own magical school. He is now even more determined to do his best in school and master magic to the best of his abilities.