Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Countess below stairs/Secret Countess they are owned by their creators J.K. Rowling and Eva Ibbotson.

Author's note: A while ago I read a post that explored the idea that Harry Potter had Indian heritage, and to me explained so much. I always wanted to explore that idea, but I had no inspiration at the time.

Then when I was rereading my favorite book Countess below stairs by Eva Ibbotson a small idea went into my brain; what if instead of Russian aristocracy during the revolution they were part of the Indian Raj during the British occupation. I would find myself daydreaming about who I wanted for this role, which palace they would live at and what jewelry I would like for them to have and so on. The idea wouldn't leave me alone until I started writing this first chapter.

Lastly, I do not have any Indian background, and all my knowledge is gained from either google or through my wonderful friends that are Indian or have an Indian heritage. I hope you enjoy and please no harsh comments, I love constructive criticism but being rude is a big no no.

The post that gave me the idea for Harry being Indian:

.com(slash)2017(slash)10(slash)mind(dash)harry(dash)potter(dash)indian(slash)

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"You can't be a maid, Hari," said Remus firmly. "this is your wildest plan yet, I will not allow it,"

"Moony, this is the only job available at the registry office. Malfoy manor is a very beautiful historic house, it's located out in the country, which has a lot of fresh air. And with the knight bus here in England I can come and visit on my days off." Hari said, her emerald eyes glowed with fervor. Her small hands reached out and grabbed his scarred hand to show how serious she was.

"Cub, please be serious, I know you well versed in the caste system, but English households are completely different from the one your parents kept back in Jaipur. There are upstairs and below stairs servants, and most of them can be very cruel to the outsiders, and the Malfoy family are a strict pureblood household," Remus patted her hand, a comforting gesture he used to do after he reprimanded her.

"Moony, I cannot remain here, living off of your hospitality!" Hari's 'r's were beginning to roll badly, showing her frustration. "You know I'd rather be an Auror, but the ministry wouldn't hear of it since you were my official tutor, even the goblins won't allow me to be a curse breaker-'

"No, they won't allow it, Cub," Remus hastily said, cutting off her tirade against the British employment system.

"And as for my hospitality, that's nonsense. Your whole family can stay here all your lives and I can never repay everything your father has done for me," Remus patted her hands, to reassure her and make Hari forget the ridiculous idea.

They were having tea in the sitting room of the small cottage Remus owned. He was able to secure it before their flight from India by sending his savings to his Squib Aunt, Mrs. Figg, a sweet elderly lady who lives down the street from them with her army of cats. "It's alright for Mammy, Remus. She hasn't fully grieved for Appa, and with Aunt Petunia's…" Hari trailed off refusing to say the unpleasant words that came to mind whenever the Dursleys were mentioned.

She took a deep breath and released it as she sank down to her knees and placed her head on Remus' lap, it was a familiar scene that brought her when she was still young and he would brush her hair with scented oils and told her stories about his time in Hogwarts.

"Yes Hari, I understand, but there must be something else. Not a maid,"

But for a foreign-born Potter the choices were slim. Although Grindelwald had been defeated the Ministries all over Europe were struggling to rebuild. Policies have been stricter on everyone affiliated with dark creatures or pureblood ties; families from the sacred twenty-eight were either fined or jailed for terrorism. The Potter family, her father especially, came from a pureblood line with ties to dark creatures; they would never be the ministry's priority.

At the last month of Summer, the remaining Potter family arrived in England, virtually penniless and with no muggle documentation. Lily Evans Potter reached out to her sister and her muggle husband for help; she believed that she and her children would be welcomed at her childhood home, and went straight to Surrey once they've arrived in England

The Dursleys pretended to welcome the Potters graciously, but once they were behind closed doors, they told the Potters that they were not welcome in their home and lives.

Petunia even yelled at Lily and informed her, she was at fault for marrying a useless foreigner, who choose to be a witch instead of a good member of society. Now she wants to disrupt her perfectly normal family, the nerve! You and your children are weird and abnormal. My family would be subjected to gossip and ridicule. Never speak to us again. Those were the last scathing words Lily heard from her sister before they were forced out of House. When Petunia's betrayal finally caught up to her, everything came crashing down, and she collapsed heartbroken and despaired.

Since then she has been inconsolable and would almost always be found in her bed with tears in her emerald eyes. With her mother grieving and her father passed; Hari gathered her courage and asked for an audience with Headmaster Dumbledore, at the end of their meeting Hari was able to secure Jaime a place in his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, their parent's Alma Mater. But for herself Hari would take nothing.

"You'll see, it will be alright. I will be leaving for the manor in ten days, and before you worry, I'm letting you know that I've found the most useful book. Mrs Beeton's book of household management (1), it has over two thousand pages, it teaches everything you need to know about running a British Household. I'll learn it from cover to cover before I go to the Manor!" Hari said with a bright smile, that made her eyes sparkle.

Remus felt the corners of his lips rise. It was his influence that made Hari run to books for solutions; when she was young she would turn to either him or her mother for all her inquiries, but when they couldn't help her they would bring her to the library and help her find the book that would answer her question.

By the time she was ten she would look for the answers herself. Once she wanted to know how airplanes stayed up, so she pestered him into buying the Ultimate Book of Airplanes and Airports. But that doesn't mean that she was an avid bookworm like himself, she just viewed books as a tool to help her learn the things she needed to achieve her goals.

"Cub, I understand you want to make yourself useful but if you could just wait, we'll find something else"

Hari raised her head from his lap and looked at him straight in the eye "For what Remus? For someone like me there is limited choices on this matter, and we can't wait forever, when I reach a certain age, they won't even consider me since I have no previous work experience,"

Remus sighed and stayed quiet; his left hand went up to his temple and rubbed his temples hoping to prevent the migraine he's feels coming. Hari is stubborn; she got it from both her parents, once she made up her mind there is no way to talk her out of it.

The room was quiet and somber both waiting for the other to break the silence. When Hari decided that they wont progress from their argument if she won't push the issue.

"I won't tell Mammy, I'll tell her that headmaster Dumbledore found me an invitation for being a lady's companion. This isn't a permanent position; they're taking in extra servants to get the house ready for the Heir. I'll be back before Jaime comes back for summer vacation,"

Remus chocolate eyes stared back at her and nodded slowly, he understood the feeling of needing to do something to move their family forward, with his furry little problem his options are limited and with Lily still unusually unstable emotions the only one that can is Hari.

"you better keep this from Jaime too," Remus said after a long pause, "or he'll leave Hogwarts and become a stable boy or something of that sort,"

Hari's face softened and replied, "no I won't," then a twinkle of mischief sparked in her eyes and a sly smile lifted her lips when she said, "maybe I should cut my hair. I heard that shorter hair would be easier to manage when I have to do heavier chores, and Fleur writes that short hair is very chic,"

Fleur, a distant cousin of her father, is the epitome of fashion and will be always the one Hari looks to for style advice. She had even offered to sponsor Hari's debut into French society, but because of the recent war Fleur is also raising her younger sister; Hari did not want to add to their great aunt's burdens.

But Remus was at his limit. Hari's hair was magnificent black mantle when unbound the ends will tickle the back of her knees. He remembered years of careful brushing with a jasmine scented oil just for her by James and Lily; it was a family ritual that was always done before bed until James left for war, and Lily continued until now.

"are you trying to kill your mother? She and I will never allow you to cut your hair," said Remus J. Lupin.

Authors Note:

Hello everyone I just wanted to add a footnote section just in case there were some questions and unfamiliar terms you had when reading this, you don't have to read this part but if you want more info or just curious then please go right ahead. Also, just a reminder that I'm not Indian, I just have a very healthy respect and admiration for their culture. And yes, some of the things here are googled, but I also checked with my friends that are Indian, so please if I make a mistake don't be too critical with the comments.

Mrs Beaton is a real book that is a staple in the Victorian household. I purposely made the book outdated just to show that Hari is not a career maid.